Poorly Thought Out Text Messages
by Melissa McEagle
Summary: Isogai sometimes wondered how Maehara pulled him into these ridiculous situations. Although, all things considered, it could be a lot worse. MaeIso. Fake Dating AU.
1. Chapter 1

Isogai Yuuma laid across his best friend's couch, paying only half attention to the game show on TV. Maehara was playing some sort of game on his phone, if the soft beeps and music were any indication. Isogai scrolled through his phone, swiping through old photos and memories. Today was originally intended to be a study day, but after the whole God of Death thing, they both agreed they needed a break.

Maehara let out a bark of laughter, catching Isogai's attention. "What is it?"

"They're gossiping about you in the group chat."

"What?" Isogai said, exiting out of the photostream app. Sure enough, there were 24 unread texts in his phone. He groaned, opening the app up.

 _Mimura:  
I mean, it's not like any of the girls are spoken for or anything._

 _Okajima:  
I call dibs on Yada!_

 _Kimura:  
You can't just call dibs on a girl, Okajima. That's not how it works._

 _Okajima:  
I'll make it work, you'll see!_

 _Takuya:  
Isn't Kataoka spoken for though? _

_Sugaya:  
That's right, aren't our class reps going out?_

Isogai groaned, rolling over. These rumors seemed to surface every few weeks or so. It was annoying. Yes, he and Kataoka spent a lot of time together and _yes_ they were good friends, but hadn't his classmates ever heard of being professional? It wasn't like there were rumors about Sugino and Nagisa or anything.

"That's not….that's not what our relationship is," Isogai whined, "We're both class reps, of _course_ we spend a lot of time together." Maehara laughed.

"It's not like you have any evidence contrary." Isogai scowled, typing.

 _Isogai:  
Kataoka and I are not dating. I'm not interested in her._

 _Sugino:  
You make it sound like you are interested in someone. Who is it?_

 _Kimura:  
Yeah! We never see you participate in these chats, c'mon! We wanna know!_

His fingers hovered over the keyboard, wondering if he should type out the truth. It would kill the Kataoka rumors pretty quickly, at least. At this point, he knew the boys well enough, that he didn't they'd judge him, at least. He quickly typed out the message, hitting send before he could think better of it.

 _Isogai:  
No one, I'm gay._

Maehara outright laughed. "Never thought you'd out yourself via group text."

"Yeah, well, after the last few days, I'm finding it more and more pointless to keep secrets, you know?"

"Yeah, I get you. I couldn't imagine you getting in front of the class and telling everyone anyway," Maehara said with a wave. Isogai nodded, mutely turning back to his phone. The group chat was going _nuts._

 _Okajima:  
Holy shit dude, seriously?!_

 _Sugino:  
What?!_

 _Mimura:  
Since when?_

 _Kimura:  
Wait, wait, does this mean you and Maehara are…?_

Isogai sighed. Of course, he killed one rumor, only to create a new one. He knew that the speculation would begin the second he outed himself, but he didn't think it'd be _that_ quickly. His fingers pressed against the screen as he typed out the denial. A familiar name popped up on the screen.

 _Maehara:  
Yeah, we're dating._

"What the hell, Hiroto!?" Isogai exclaimed, bolting up. Maehara gave him a mischievous grin _that_ _he absolutely did not like._ "What's this all about?!

"Wouldn't it be fun if we pretended to date for a little while?"

"No!" Isogai protested. Where the hell did his friend get this idea anyway?! Maehara adjusted his position on the armchair so that he was sitting upright,

"Well, think of it this way. You and I both know that there are going to be rumors, right?" Isogai kept his gaze level, hoping that Maehara made his point and _quickly._ "Well, what if we pretend to date for a little while, and then break up like a month later? We'll just say it didn't work out and then we can return to our normal friendship. Then BAM, the rumors are gone and it's like nothing ever happened. It's the perfect plan!"

"Except about that part where we have to _date_ for a few weeks," Isogai hissed, "Do you even think things through?!" He took a deep breath, taking the moment to compose himself. He continued after a beat. "You could've at least asked me beforehand." Maehara blinked.

"Sorry, Yuuma," he said softly, "How about you think of it like this, it's deception training!"

"Deception training?" Isogai repeated incredulously.

"Yeah! No offense, dude, but you're not exactly the greatest at deceiving people. This way, you can get practice in, we stop the rumors between us, _and_ we get to have fun messing with our friends."

" _You_ get to have fun messing with our friends," corrected Isogai.

"Same difference." He was not happy about this development.

"We're going to have to do couple things, you know. We can't get around that. We'll have to hold hands and share bentos, and…" Isogai trailed off, going a little pink, "…and kiss."

"It's not like we haven't held hands before, and we share our bentos every day anyway."

"We held hands back in elementary school!"

"Yeah, that wasn't too long ago," Maehara dismissed, "And it's not like Bitch-sensei doesn't kiss people every day. It's just kissing." _It's just kissing to you!_ Isogai wanted to correct. He was sure that his friend sometimes forgot that they were at two totally different experience levels when it came to romance. Was his best friend going to be his first real (not-Bitch-sensei) kiss? If this went on like Maehara was planning, then it definitely sounded like it.

Isogai spared a glance down at his phone and blinked. It was _exploding_ with text messages. It looked like Maehara's declaration had made its way over to the girls, if the 14 texts from Okano and Kataoka were any indication. He groaned. Even if he denied it, they wouldn't believe him. Maehara had really dug a hole for him…

"Yuuuummmaaa," Maehara whined, "C'mon, let's do it." Isogai threw his head back and groaned. He really didn't have a choice in the matter. Maehara had already admitted to it, who was going to believe him if he said that Maehara was lying?

"Fine, we'll start fake dating. But _only_ for **two** weeks, okay?" Maehara brightened.

"Deal!" He exclaimed. Isogai fell back on the couch, replying to the number of texts he'd received. He glanced over at Maehara, who was enthusiastically doing the same thing. Isogai sighed, sending the first text out. At least this would be over soon enough. It was just two weeks, he could manage that.

Right?

* * *

The next morning, Isogai faced his best friend with a tinge of pink on his cheeks (which seemed to be permanently attached to his face whenever he thought about what they were doing). Maehara greeted him with a grin.

"Good morning, Yuuma," he greeted. Somehow, his face got redder the second he faced his friend. They were (fake) boyfriends now. Today was going to be…interesting.

"Morning, Hiroto."

"Are you ready for the day?" he said, linking his arm with Isogai's.

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully, "I dunno if I'm ready to face everyone yet." It wasn't just about the whole (fake) dating his best friend thing (that was on a whole different level of unprepared), but he had come out over the weekend. That wasn't a small step for anyone. Would they accept him? Would they pretend like it had never happened? Maehara gave him a reassuring smile.

"Well, you know I'll be here if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah," Isogai said softly, "I know, Hiroto." He had been the first person Isogai had told about his sexuality, and he had been the first person to assure Isogai that nothing would change. Isogai couldn't even begin to describe how grateful he was. He had briefly feared that their relationship would change, that Maehara wouldn't want to be his friend anymore.

Although, he thought, he didn't expect this either.

"Yuuma," Maehara said gently, holding out his hand, "We're getting closer to the school now."

"Y-yeah," Isogai said, taking his friend's hand and intertwining their fingers together. Isogai heart pounded and his stomach was flipping. What were his classmates going to say? For all intents and purposes, to them, they were dating.

Isogai had never had a boyfriend (or girlfriend) before. He had never found it necessary, nor had he ever found anyone that he had been interested in seeing. He would've been perfectly happy ending middle school working hard, enjoying time with his friends, and having fun with his class. Romantic relationships were never intended to be a part of that. _No_ , he corrected himself, romantic relationships _with his best friend_ were never intended to be a part of that.

Although, the warmth radiating from Maehara's hand was comforting. It helped control his nervous trembling, at the very least.

"Yuuma," Maehara said, noticing Isogai's discomfort, "Are you alright?"

"I'm nervous," he said simply, "Hiroto, I've never dated anyone before. Let alone _fake_ dated. I don't know how I'm supposed to act. But now I'm pretending to date someone, who just so happens to be my best friend. Not only that but now the class knows I'm gay and it's just so…" Maehara shushed him, placing his index finger on Isogai's lips.

"Just follow my lead," Maehara said, giving Isogai's hand a reassuring squeeze, "We don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with." Isogai took a deep breath. It did help to know that Maehara was on his side. "Just remember, Yuuma, this is an exercise in deception."

Right, an exercise in deception, that's all it was.

"Should we call each other by our given names?" Isogai asked. Maehara hummed in thought.

"If you want," he said after a beat, "Although, it might be fun to slip-up in casual conversation. Could you imagine everyone's faces?"

"I bet I'll be seeing a lot of shocked faces soon," Isogai muttered to himself. Maehara pulled Isogai in so that they were just a little bit closer.

"Just remember, Yuuma, relax." Yeah, easier said than done. They continued their walk in comfortable silence, despite Isogai's uncontrollable nervousness. Their footsteps drew them closer to the school. Isogai steeled himself for his classmates.

Kurahashi was the first person to spot them. Isogai's pulse raced when he saw her jaw drop and eyes go wide. Maehara gave Isogai another squeeze. Isogai took a deep breath, he had to confront this eventually.

"Isogai-kun! Maehara-kun!" She greeted, "Are the rumors true!?" Isogai felt his face heat up, and he turned towards Maehara for support.

"Yeah," Maehara said, "We're dating." Isogai's heart pounded as she sized up the two. After a beat, she gave them a smile.

"I'm happy for you two!" she said genuinely. Isogai let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You two make a cute couple."

"Thank you," Maehara said. She jumped as her phone started beeping.

"Ah! I gotta run ahead, the caterpillars I've been following should be emerging from their cocoons soon!" She ran off, her school bag dragging behind her. Maehara let out a chuckle.

"That wasn't too bad, was it, Yuuma?" Isogai shook his head. It had gone better than he had expected. With growing confidence, they began to greet their classmates. To Isogai's delight, everyone had kind words of support for them (despite many looks of disbelief).

"Maehara, tell me it's not true!" Okajima dramatically cried.

"I'm afraid it is, Okajima," Maehara replied, equally as dramatic, "I'm in a relationship with Isogai." He slinked his arm around Isogai's waist, pulling him in. Tears ran down Okajima's face.

"We've lost a good man today," he whispered to himself, turning around, "We've lost a good man. Now who am I going to oogle over Girls Weekly with?" Maehara patted his back.

"Just because I'm dating a guy doesn't mean we can't look over the girls together," Maehara assured. Isogai rolled his eyes. _They were ridiculous._

"Do you really mean that?" Okajima asked spinning around, his eyes sparkling.

"Of course I do, dude," he said, using his one free hand to fist bump his friend. "You're okay with it, right Isogai?"

"So long as you guys aren't harassing girls, I'm alright with it," he said. He had gotten an earful from Kataoka after she discovered their plans with Itona's robot. He didn't feel like repeating that. Why the class thought he was Maehara's keeper, he didn't know (he kind of was though, not that he'd admit that).

"That's great to hear, man! I was so worried! I'll see you Saturday then!" Okajima said enthusiastically. Isogai watched Okajima run off to go tell Itona about this development. Isogai shook his head. He should probably be concerned about these three, but that was a worry for another day. He took a deep breath, catching a bit of Maehara's scent. They hadn't been this close since they were kids. It was kind of nice to be able to experience that again. The weight of Maehara's hand on his waist wasn't too bad either. Comfortable, even.

Maybe this wouldn't be _too_ bad.

* * *

"Your request has been heard by the director of operations and he has agreed," Karasuma told them, "Should any assassins successfully kill the target through your endangerment, the bounty will not be paid." There was scattered cheering through the class. Isogai gave a small smile, he had been the one to write the request. He was glad to see it had resonated with the director. There was no reason their lives should be at risk for something like this.

Karasuma closed his eyes. "What happened with the God of Death was unacceptable. He should have never passed our defenses and it never should have escalated to the point it did. Both Irina-sensei and I were too distracted to realize what was happening and that is our fault." He bowed. "I ask that you forgive us." It was silent for a moment before he straightened himself. "We will be taking precautions to assure that this doesn't happen again. Thank you for listening."

"We never blamed you," Kataoka said, "It was bound to happen eventually."

"Yeah, Karasuma-sensei, you did your best," Kurahashi added, "Even Bitch-sensei did something!"

"What's that supposed to mean, brat?!"

"Yeah, we're just glad we all got out safely," Isogai said, acutely aware of how the class was clinging to every word he said. It was bizarre to be the center of gossip. "We're also very happy that our letter made it up to your superiors. Thank you for saving us." There was agreement from the class. Karasuma mutely nodded.

"I appreciate that," he said genuinely. He looked back at the other two teachers. "I believe I have taken up enough of your time. I will see you in a few hours for PE." He exited the classroom with Bitch-sensei not too far behind. Man, they had some pretty great teachers…

Koro-sensei slithered up to the front of the class, his notes for the day in hand. Their octopus teacher hadn't confronted them at all today, which meant that he was probably still in the dark about Maehara and him. He didn't particularly mind, he wasn't sure he was ready for Koro-sensei's inevitable freak out.

"Before I begin class, I just wanted to say I'm very proud of you all for working together. In the face of a challenge, you guys didn't step back or falter. You never left anyone behind. I can't be happier!" He flailed his tentacles around. "So let's work together towards this assassination!" The mood lifted as they listened to his words. They could feel the doubts of the last few days fall away. Yes, the God of Death was scary, but they had survived, and it was time to forward again. There was no point on dwelling in the past. "Tomorrow, we're going to go over career counseling, so keep that in mind and think about what you'd like to do!"

 _Career counseling?_ Yeah, it was about that time, now that he thought about it. They were rapidly approaching the second trimester final exams…and their last chance to leave Class E. He gave Maehara a side-long glance. His friend had his brows furrowed in concentration. Isogai had barely thought about his career aspirations, he was sure Maehara was twice as lost as he was. If he had time, he would have to talk to his friend on his thoughts after school today.

He had no disillusions about the fact that they probably wanted very different things in life and might have to separate one day. Before Isogai was dropped down to Class E, they had made plenty of promises to hang out with each other, despite the class difference. Then one thing led to another and they were together anyway.

"Isogai-kun, why don't you start the reading?" Koro-sensei called, snapping Isogai out of his thoughts.

"Certainly," he said, finding the first passage. Yeah, it would be nice if they could stay together a little longer…

* * *

Maehara pushed his chair to Isogai's desk, as they had done a hundred times before. Only this time, every single eye was on them. Isogai felt heat rush to his cheeks (he hoped he could get that under control soon, it was getting annoying).

"What'd you bring today?" Maehara said, ignoring the numerous gazes on them.

"I made a bento," Isogai said, "It has the usual, rice, egg, vegetables, and a little bit of pork. You?"

"My mom packed a simple lunch. A sandwich, vegetables, some chips, and an onigiri. Is that your tonkatsu?"

"Yeah," Isogai confirmed. Before he could say another word, Maehara's chopsticks were in his bento, taking a piece of the pork. "Hey!"

"Your tonkatsu is my favorite," Maehara said, his mouth still full of _his_ bento. Isogai couldn't bring himself to actually be mad. He should have predicted this.

"I'll bring extra next time I make it," he promised, "Can I have some of your chips?" Maehara cracked open the small bag, letting Isogai take a few out. They fell into their usual rhythm quickly. Maehara would make a small joke, he would laugh. Isogai would try and take their discussion back to school, with only marginal success. He was somewhat relieved that their apparent "dating", wasn't going to change _everything_ too much.

At least, until the looming figure of a blonde was over their desk.

"Alright, you guys, we've tried to be patient. But I can't wait any longer. Spill," Nakamura said, sitting on the desk next to his. The soft chattering of the class was silenced. Were they really that interesting?

"What do you mean?" Isogai asked.

"Don't play dumb, Isogai-kun. You know what this is about," she said, "When did you two start dating?"

"A few weeks ago," Maehara said smoothly, "We just didn't want to tell anyone." Maehara had broken up with his last girlfriend about six weeks ago, which meant they would have started "dating" around three weeks after that. The timeline worked (Isogai was impressed).

"Why not?" she pushed.

"Because we knew you guys would make this a spectacle," Maehara said dryly, picking at his vegetables. Nakamura probably got the hint, but didn't seem to care either way.

"So why did you guys decide to go public now?" Fuwa asked.

It was Isogai that responded, "After everything that had happened, I found it pointless to continue keeping secrets. Maehara and I being in a relationship felt so small after we almost died." It wasn't entirely a lie, but it was scary how easily these half-truths fell from Isogai's mouth.

"Hmm," Nakamura said, rubbing her chin, "So when did you guys, you know, figure it out?"

"Well~," Maehara started, "It was a few weeks ag-"

"Actually, we don't have to tell them, Maehara," Isogai interrupted firmly. There was protesting through the classroom. He really didn't want to hear what ridiculous story Maehara would come up with. Especially not one that his classmates would takes as fact.

"Oh, come on, Yuuma!" Maehara whined. There were a few scattered gasps at the familiarity. "It's a funny story!" Isogai doubted the story he was going to tell was going to be nice. They should at _least_ agree on one before he went and made something up.

"I'd rather not, Hiroto." Isogai crossed his arms, letting him know that this decision was final. As his (fake) boyfriend, he should respect his decisions. A little softer, he added, "Maybe later."

"Alright," he said. The blond turned back to Nakamura. "Anything else you'd like to pester us with?" She stood up, rubbing her chin.

"Hmm," she started thoughtfully.

"We don't mean to pester you," Okano interjected, "It's just you're the first two in the class to say that you're dating, and it's two _guys_." Isogai felt a little defensive. So what if they were two guys? "Not just that, but it's our respectable class rep and his less than respectable best friend."

"Hey!" Maehara protested.

"What she's trying to say is that _of course_ we're interested," Yada continued. When did these girls surround his desk?

Kataoka jumped in, "We're also so glad that you guys finally figured it out. We were wondering when you'd crack through your dense skulls and just kiss already." Isogai was careful not to let the confused look show on his face. What did she mean by that? A quick glance at Maehara told him that he was wondering the same thing.

"Yeah, it took a long time to sort out our feelings," Isogai lied, "But we were lucky that it all managed to fall into place."

"Ehhh?!" A loud voice cried, "Isogai-kun and Maehara-kun are dating?!" Isogai froze. Oh no. A familiar octopus was crawling through the window. He was carrying snacks that he had picked up at some far away destination. So much for not making it a big deal.

"Yeah," Isogai said weakly, "We're dating."

"EH?! But this isn't what I had planned out!" he cried dramatically, flipping through his files at mach speed. Isogai really didn't want to know what was in those.

"Sometimes love doesn't work the way you expect it to, sensei," Nakamura said wisely, as if she hadn't spent the last ten minutes trying to get details on their relationship. At least she had kept her questioning relatively tame. Given how much of a trouble-maker _and_ gossip she could be, she could've been worse.

"Yuuma and I started dating a few weeks ago," Maehara repeated for the sake of their confused sensei. "We told everyone yesterday."

"And you didn't tell sensei immediately!?" Koro-sensei started comically crying, patting his tears with a handkerchief. "Why don't you trust me?!" Isogai laughed nervously. Maehara reached back to caress his hand, giving him some strength. He was glad they were in this together.

* * *

They left the school grounds that afternoon holding hands. Isogai felt accomplished. They had survived the class's (and Koro-sensei's) questioning, and he was slowly becoming used to the idea of (pretending to) date.

"So what did you think of our first day officially together?" Maehara prompted.

"It wasn't too bad," Isogai said honestly, "Not much was different."

"Hmm, I guess it wasn't," Maehara mused, "Although I could have done without the class's questioning."

"I understand what you mean. What do you think Kataoka meant by us 'finally figuring it out'?"

"I dunno. I guess there were rumors about us before this?" He shrugged. Isogai was strangely reassured, his best friend was just as much in the dark as he was. Isogai felt blood rush to his cheeks as he voiced the thoughts that had been following him since lunch.

"Hiroto, I-I'm actually glad you did this with me. I don't know if I could have handled being the center of attention like that on my own."

"And it's a lot of fun!" Maehara added, "Did you see Koro-sensei's face when he learned we were dating?" Isogai chuckled at the memory.

"Yes, although I did not appreciate the following twenty minutes of questioning and dejected mumbling. I think he wanted to be the one to set up the class's first couple."

"Eh, he'll get over it," Maehara shrugged. He pulled Isogai in closer, their shoulders brushing each other. "He can't win all the time."

"I suppose not," Isogai said, not quite minding their closeness. They stopped at their usual intersection. It was time for Maehara to go home and Isogai to go to work. Their hands untwined after a beat.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Maehara said.

"Sometime tomorrow we should come up with a backstory for how we started dating. We should also talk about the career counseling thing."

"That's not a bad idea," Maehara agreed, "I'll message you tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." It was with a moment's hesitation that Isogai started to move away. Before he knew it, Maehara's lips pecked his own, and then his best friend was off. Isogai realized belatedly that a couple of straggling students were behind them.

His best friend had stolen his first (real) kiss!

What the hell?!

Isogai wouldn't call himself a romantic, but he'd expected his first kiss to be a little more, you know, _romantic._ Not a peck in the middle of an intersection on his way to work! That was about as unromantic as you could possibly get! Where did Maehara get off?! He silently fumed a bit as he stomped his way to work.

And what sort of trick did Maehara use to make his lips feel so warm afterwards?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Maehara Hiroto was having a lot of fun with this whole charade. There was something about the way his composed best friend got flustered that gave him a sick thrill. The way he stammered when they held hands… The way he would heat up when he was pulled in by the waist... It was _adorable_. It reminded him of some of his earlier girlfriends, many of whom had been in their first relationship with him.

He spared a glance over to Isogai, who was raptly paying attention to whatever Bitch-sensei was rattling off. It would be good for him to have this experience, he mused. When he eventually found a real boyfriend, he would know what to expect and what to do. He smiled to himself. It would be cute to watch, really, his best friend fumbling around his first boyfriend, trying to impress him (and eventually coming to Maehara for advice, who would naturally have a harem of at least five girls).

Yeah, he'd enjoy that.

Bitch-sensei stopped as she glanced at the clock.

"Alright brats, that's enough for today, go get ready for PE," she said, slamming her book shut. Maehara closed their textbook, putting it in his desk. He stood up, immediately heading over to his (fake) boyfriend's desk. He placed his hand on the desk, grinning as Isogai looked up to meet his eyes.

"Today is knife work, wanna partner to take Karasuma-sensei down?"

"When don't we partner in PE anyway?" Isogai asked, shaking his head. He stood up. "But sure, I don't see why not." Maehara held out his hand, and Isogai took it with only a moment's hesitation. It was cute how shy his friend was about public displays of affection (he would have to ramp those up when Isogai got more comfortable). It wouldn't do any good for Isogai's future boyfriend if he continued to be shy.

They followed closely behind the class as they filed out of the room to the locker rooms. Maehara glanced back to see Bitch-sensei sending them an odd look. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be concerned about that or not (it was probably fine).

"So…you guys are really dating, huh?" Nagisa asked.

"Yeah," Isogai confirmed. Maehara felt Isogai's hand twitch like it always did when he lied about this. "We started dating a few weeks ago."

"Oh," he said, "I guess we were just surprised."

"Surprised?" Isogai repeated.

"We?" Maehara asked. Nagisa looked a little flustered.

"Sorry, Maehara-kun, we just didn't think you'd show interest in Isogai-kun."

"Why not?" he asked, somewhat offended, "My boyfriend is great!" He pulled Isogai in, opting to wrap his arm around his waist. He liked how his hand settled on his side. Were Isogai's legs getting wobbly? _God, he's so cute._

"I think you're exaggerating a bit, Hiroto," Isogai admonished, pushing away. Hiroto reluctantly complied.

"Not at all!" he protested.

"It's not that we didn't think you'd date a guy, Maehara-kun," Kimura protested, "It's just…well…"

"It does explain how close you to have been lately," Mimura commented, "Especially after summer." Maehara didn't let the flicker of confusion show. Had they been closer than usual? Sure, it was true that they hung out whenever they could, but he hadn't thought it had been any more than usual. _Although…_ he thought, glancing at Isogai, _The Island incident did affect Yuuma a lot. Was I subconsciously picking up on that?_ Isogai had the same brief look of confusion, but quickly smothered it.

"Eh? Was that it then?" Okajima crooned, patting them both on the back, "A steamy love confession after a near-death experience?"

"Th-that's not," Isogai stuttered.

"I wouldn't call it steamy, Okajima," Maehara said, "Also it came a few weeks after that." Maehara pulled open his locker, throwing his bag inside and taking out his PE uniform.

"Oh? Did it?" Okajima asked, "Any deets?"

"No," Isogai said firmly, cutting him off, "Come on guys, let's not let our relationship distract you from class." There were some grumblings about Isogai being a killjoy. Maehara chuckled as he threw his shirt off and changed into his PE uniform. That was their incredible class rep in action, always keeping the boys in line. He spared a glance back at Isogai, who was putting on the uniform's undershirt.

Yeah, he was _really_ cute.

* * *

"We should go on a date," Maehara said on their walk home. Isogai cocked an eyebrow at him.

"A date?"

"Yeah, you know, to keep the illusion up," he said, feeling a little hot for some reason, "If our classmates ask what we've done, we should have a good answer. If we're lucky, someone will spot us and they'll be convinced! Nothing will break the illusion more if we can't say we've been on dates!"

"We could just make something up," Isogai suggested.

"But that's less fun! Besides, I'll always take an excuse to hang out with my best friend!" He hooked their arms together. "It won't be that different from how we usually hang out anyway."

"What would we be doing?"

"Well~" Maehara sing-songed, "We could go to the movies, I think the new Sonic Ninja movie is _finally_ in theaters here. Have dinner together, go to the park, typical date stuff."

"I wouldn't mind that," Isogai agreed, "We haven't had time to go out together anyway." Maehara loved the way his face lit up at the idea. It was true, since the fall trimester started, they hadn't had the chance to hang out together. Real date or not, it'd be good to spend time with him that didn't involve laying on his couch and eating his food.

"It's a date then!"

"Yeah, it's a date then."

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon and day four of their fake dating escapades. They had only about ten days left, according to the deadline that Isogai had set. It was also their first "official" date together. Isogai had pushed to wait until Saturday or Sunday, but Maehara was impatient and also _really_ wanted to see the new movie.

"Where are you guys going?" Kataoka asked, following them outside the school. She had a genuinely curious look on her face (although Maehara was certain the girls were now hyperaware of what they were doing at all times).

"We're going on a date," Isogai said. Maehara was impressed, Isogai was becoming better at lying, he barely even twitched.

"A date?" Okano asked, interested, "What're you guys doing?"

"We're going to see a movie and then dinner, right Hiroto?"

"Yep," Maehara agreed with a nod.

"We'll hang out tomorrow, okay?" Isogai promised.

"Alright, Isogai-kun," Kataoka said, "We'll see you tomorrow." She gave them a knowing smile as the two girls turned away to go talk to some of their other friends. Maehara made the mistake of glancing back towards them, they quickly quieted when they saw him watching. He let out a little chuckle. They were falling right into their trap.

"Hiroto?" Isogai prompted, giving him an odd look, "What're you laughing at?"

"Nothing much, just watching our class fall for our scam." He grabbed Isogai's hand and twined their fingers together. It was amazing how soft his hands were, especially given how much he worked. He would've thought they'd be rough from handing food, serving customers, and taking care of his siblings. Isogai glanced backwards, seeing his classmates giggling faces. He rolled his eyes.

"I really didn't think they'd be so taken in by our relationship," Isogai commented, his thumb brushing over the top of Maehara's hand.

"Well, think about it this way. If Kataoka and Okano started dating, wouldn't you be interested?" Isogai hummed at the thought.

"I would," he admitted after a beat, "I never thought of it that way."

"That's why you have me," Maehara boasted, "I'm the smart one between us!" Isogai laughed.

"We make a good couple."

"Yeah," Maehara agreed, unsure why those words made his stomach flip. They'd always been a good duo, always complementing each other. Where Isogai was serious, he was fun. When Maehara needed a second set of eyes for something, Isogai was always there to give him his thoughts. They were so different, but they always clicked.

They walked to the movie theater in comfortable silence. _It's been a while since I've been here,_ Maehara mused to himself. It was almost his default first date location, having brought four of his give girlfriends there. Sakura was his first, way back in his second year of junior high. She had been a very pretty girl and it had taken Maehara several attempts to get the courage to ask her out. She had been very nice to look out, but pretty boring personality-wise.

He broke it off two weeks later.

The second girl was Miyu, a sweet girl from the class above him. She was average in just about every way, but had a killer sense of humor and loved to tease Maehara at every possible moment. She actually lasted longer than Sakura, but by the third week he was bored and disinterested in her. Something hadn't clicked between them.

Noa became his fourth girlfriend and the third he took to this movie theater. She was his second girlfriend of his third year. She was shy and Maehara had thought she was pretty cute. Although she turned out to be a particularly obnoxious chatterbox and gossip once she opened up. She barely lasted a week.

His fifth girlfriend, Fuka, wasn't actually too bad, and if it weren't for all of the craziness in Maehara's personal life and school life this year, she might have lasted. She tolerated Maehara's antics and actually helped tutor him a bit. She had been sweet, smart, and was remarkably good a balancing school and her personal life. But Maehara couldn't balance her, the assassination, and exams. So he broke it off after three weeks. He let her down easy though, and she was understanding.

He hadn't dated anyone since her. Well, at least until now. Isogai would be the fifth date he had taken to see movies here. Maehara vaguely wondered if he was being unoriginal (although it wasn't like he and Isogai hadn't come here before as friends), but he dismissed the thought. _Nah, movies are classic date material_. He gets to see a movie, cuddle a little, and eat popcorn. What downsides could there be?

He took his seat next to Isogai.

"You didn't have to pay," Isogai said.

"It's a _date_ , I'm going to pay," Maehara insisted. Why did his friend always insist on these kind of things? It was his treat.

"A _fake_ date," Isogai said quietly.

"Well, I like to go all out," Maehara defended. He settled the popcorn between them, taking a delicious bite of the unhealthy buttery mess.

"I'm going to pay for our next one," Isogai insisted. He rolled his eyes, his friend was _so_ ridiculous.

"Alright," Maehara agreed to appease his friend (although Maehara resolved to make sure Isogai never spent a dime of his own money). Isogai sat back in his seat, satisfied. They went quiet as the theater darkened and the opening credits began to roll.

Maehara was engrossed the moment the movie began playing. He had always been a sucker for action/adventure movies, and this series was the top of the top. Isogai shared his love, although not quite as severely. There was nothing cooler than big budget American films, with their unnecessary explosions, shooting, and hackneyed plots. It was the _best_.

He was so lost in the world of Sonic Ninja, that it was only during an emotional romantic scene (about 67 minutes into the film), that he realized that at some point they had finished their popcorn and that Isogai had snaked his hand out to hold his own. Isogai's head rested comfortably on his shoulder, making his heart flutter for some reason. Maehara's confusion about his feelings were forgotten the second he watched Sonic Ninja's love interest die in a fiery explosion (or did she?). By the time the end credits rolled, Isogai had the remnants of the popcorn bag in his hand and his head had left its place on his shoulder.

"What'd you think?" Maehara asked excitedly as they exited.

"It was fun. I can't wait for the next one," Isogai said, "I wasn't too crazy about the beginning, but it got better."

"Yeah, the special effects have gotten better too!"

"When do you think the sequel is coming out?"

"They announced that'll be in two years. Man I can't wait that long!" he exclaimed dramatically. Isogai chuckled. "Eh? What is it?"

"You're just funny when you get excited about things. I like it." Maehara grinned at the praise, slapping Isogai's back. His hand rested on his shoulder.

"Well then, are you ready for the next part of our date?"

"Dinner?" Isogai asked.

"Something like that," Maehara teased, pulling Isogai closer, "Follow me."

Maehara was taking Isogai to a nearby park. It wasn't unfamiliar territory for either of them. When they were growing up, they often played in the playground together. Isogai gripped his arm as familiar memories resurfaced.

"Ah, do you remember when we played hide-and-seek over there?" Maehara reminisced, "And you got stuck in that tree there and your dad had to fish you down?" Isogai chuckled.

"Why is that the first thing you remember?" he said, "What about that time you got into a fight with fifth year boys because you gave a flower to his sister and _I_ had to step in for you?"

"I was eight."

"I got a black eye!"

"Minor details," Maehara waved off. Isogai rolled his eyes. Maehara led Isogai to a spot under a tree. He sat underneath it, his (fake) boyfriend following suit. He was quiet as he watched Maehara pull out food from his backpack. It was a simple cold meal.

"Did you make these yourself?"

"You bet! I knew we wouldn't be too hungry after the movie, but I wanted to prepare something."

"So…you made these yourself?" Isogai repeated, his face betraying his curiosity.

"Hey! I'm not totally useless in the kitchen!" Maehara protested, "Why do you think everything I make is poisonous!?"

"Last time you cooked I ended up sick all night," Isogai countered.

"Okay, I made a _sandwich_ this time, you should be fine!" Maehara held the box up to Isogai, who reluctantly took it. He handled it with two fingers, like it was diseased or something. He carefully opened the box, revealing the sandwich. Maehara glared at him, daring him to say something. It wasn't exactly world class cuisine, but it wasn't _bad._

Isogai lifted the sandwich to his mouth, taking the first bite. He carefully chewed it, trying to sort out any oddities (there weren't any!) before swallowing.

"It's not bad!"

"Don't sound surprised!"

Isogai laughed, kindly taking another bite of the sandwich. Maehara's annoyance slowly faded away into a contentedness. Unlike other dates he had gone on, there wasn't any pressure to continuously entertain or talk. They were satisfied just by being in each other's presence. They could sit in comfortable silence, or make light conversation. They didn't have to take the time to get to know each other, since they already knew everything about the other.

It wouldn't be so bad, Maehara mused, to actually date your best friend.

"I think we have visitors," Isogai said, throwing Maehara out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Isogai subtley gestured behind him. He spoke, lowering his voice.

"I think I heard Koro-sensei giggling behind me."

"You wanna go in for an assassination attempt?"

"And ruin our lovely date?" Isogai scooted closer to Maehara. _Damn, he learns quickly._ _Before you know it, he'll have me flustered. I'm so proud._ But Maehara was the master and Isogai was the student. Maehara gave him a predatory grin that made the black-haired boy falter for a moment. He cupped his face and brought him in for a quick kiss. When he pulled back, he was satisfied to see that Isogai was bright red.

"What was that for?"

"Well~ We've got to keep the illusion up when people are watching right?" Maehara grinned, resting his hand on Isogai's. Even his hand was hot, Isogai was _really_ embarrassed. It was _so_ cute. He definitely loved making people flustered.

After a beat, Isogai said, "You're my first real kiss you know. Bitch-sensei not included."

Maehara wasn't quite sure why those words made him feel funny inside.

* * *

 _im embarrassed at how long i've had this chapter written and just haven't posted it_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Man it's weird how assclass went from chapter 157 to 160 right?

 **Chapter Three**

Isogai and Kataoka walked back to the classroom together. The class rep meeting had gone well, although the other class's blatant disregard towards them hadn't changed. Were it not for Asano's occasional acknowledgements, it would be as if they weren't there at all.

"What do you think of the festival coming up?" Kataoka asked.

"I mean, we're at a disadvantage," Isogai said frankly, "What with our shop being so high on the mountain."

"But…?" Isogai gave her a confident smile.

"I'm sure that we'll succeed with whatever we come up with. We've been at a disadvantage before and come up on top. I have faith in our creativity and our determination." Isogai thought back to their summer vacation, when it seemed as though all odds were against him. They had always made do with what they had. Their creativity and strength. When Isogai was first dropped down into Class E, he never expected to find comradery and friendship with the others like he had. Kataoka let out a small laugh.

"I don't think I'll ever get over the faith you have in everyone," she said, looking at him seriously.

"Is it a bad thing?" Isogai asked.

"No, not at all. It's admirable," she said. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, "So you think we'll do it? We'll win?"

"I have no doubts," he said confidently. She gave him a soft smile.

"I can see why the boys were so quick to rally behind you during the sports festival." Isogai swelled with pride at the memory. His class was really incredible, weren't they? They continued their walk in silence, nothing but the sound of crunching dirt beneath their feet and the birds chirping to accompany them. Isogai glanced towards Kataoka, who looked as though she was struggling to find the words to start a conversation. She would glance towards Isogai, and think better of it before she said a thing. Isogai had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what it was about.

"Kataoka, if you want to ask about Maehara and myself, you can go ahead." She bit her lip, avoiding looking at his eyes. "We're friends after all, it would be weirder if you didn't think anything of it."

"Yeah," she said quietly, "I guess so." She was quiet for a moment, Isogai could see the words turning in her head. She was trying to figure out what she wanted to ask him. "So you're gay? When did you realize…?" There was an odd tone to her voice. For the first time, Isogai wondered if there was truth to the rumor that she may've had a crush on him.

"It was a few months ago," he said after a beat, "I had been toying with the idea for a while, but after my second year, those thoughts were kind of put on hold. I don't know if there was one thing that really made me realize, but it made sense to me." She let out a contemplative hum. Isogai quietly added, "Maehara was the first person I told." Isogai could still vividly remember that day.

" _Hiroto, can we talk?" Isogai asked. Isogai couldn't keep his thoughts straight. They wildly bounced around his head, and as much as Isogai wanted to deny it, they kept going back to one thought. He needed to talk this out with_ _ **someone.**_ _His best friend looked at him, more than a little concerned._

" _Yeah, anytime, what's up?" Although he tried to sound casual, a bit of worry crept into his voice. Isogai rubbed his hands against his pants nervously. He took a quick look around, making sure it was clear, the last thing he wanted was for someone to overhear this conversation._

" _I-I've been thinking a lot lately, a-and things are starting to make a little more sense to me now." Isogai felt his eyes water up. Maehara was looking at him very intently, listening to every word he said. "Hiroto, I think I'm gay." Isogai averted his eyes, not wanting to see Maehara's reaction. He probably thought that he was weird, crazy even._

" _Yuuma," Maehara said softly, "Is this what's been bothering you for the last few days?" Maehara took his hand. Isogai was trembling, trying to keep the tears at bay. "C'mon, let's go sit down."_

" _Y-yeah," Isogai choked out. Maehara grasped his forearm and led them to a bench. Isogai immediately curled up, his knees beneath his chin. Maehara allowed him a few minutes to compose himself. It was Maehara that broke the silence._

" _So you think you're gay?" Isogai nodded mutely. "What made you realize…?" He took a deep breath._

" _It's been a combination of things," he said, "I dunno where to even begin. I…I guess it started after that girl from Class B confessed to me." Maehara snorted. Isogai gave him a sidelong glance._

" _I hope she never finds out that her confessing to you made you realize you were gay." Isogai laughed. Isogai punched him lightly in the arm._

" _I'm trying to be serious here, Hiroto."_

" _I know, I know, sorry, Yuuma," he apologized, although the grin on his face said otherwise. Isogai was grateful that Maehara was still the same, despite the revelation. "Anyway, go on."_

" _Well," Isogai started again, feeling lighter, "I guess it sort of started with the confession. I dunno what was different about this one from the last few, but I was being only partially honest when I said that I didn't have time for a relationship." Maehara leaned in, interested. "But…there wasn't a part of me that found her attractive. She was just a girl to me, nothing special."_

" _Mmhmm, and then?"_

" _I didn't think anything of it, to be honest," Isogai admitted, "You know how we have that group chat?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I've always turned the other cheek when I see you guys talking about the girls, not participating out of respect." Maehara nodded. Isogai looked down. "W-well, when we started talking about the Class B girl, I realized that I've never participated in these conversations, not out of professionalism, but out of disinterest. There really are no girls I've liked or had a crush on."_

" _Never?"_

" _Never."_

" _But you lead the poll when we had the Kyoto trip a few weeks ago…?"_

" _Yeah, I thought it would be a fun class bonding experience, since I was class rep and I still didn't know most of the class that well. Since that's a thing boys are supposed to do." Maehara hummed thoughtfully._

" _I see." Maehara sat back in the chair. "Well, you've never had crushes on girls right, have you had crushes on guys?" Isogai went a little pink._

" _Y-yeah, I have."_

" _Really?!" Maehara exclaimed, "And you never told me?! I'm offended on behalf of our friendship. Who was it?!"_

" _In our last year of primary school, I kind of liked Tsuyoshi-san." Maehara struggled to bring up a face with the name, but vaguely remembered hm._

" _Him?"_

" _Yeah. At the time, I thought it was just a friendship crush, but now I'm starting to think otherwise…"_

" _Anyone else?"_

" _In our first year here, I…" Isogai trailed off. He grew a little redder. "I kind of liked Gakushuu-san."_

" _What?! Holy shit, dude!"_

" _I thought it was just an admiration crush," Isogai finished lamely._

" _God damn, dude."_

" _My crushes sort of ended there, a lot happened in my second year." Maehara didn't need to hear anymore. A lot wasn't even describing the beginning of it._

" _What about Bitch-sensei?" Maehara asked._

" _What about her?"_

" _When she kisses you, do you feel anything?" Isogai tilted his head._

" _Bitch-sensei does nothing for me," he admitted._

" _Really?! Nothing at all?!" Maehara exclaimed._

" _Nothing." Maehara was staring in awe of Isogai._

" _Even the girls get affected by it. That makes you very powerful, you know." Isogai furrowed his brows._

" _It does?"_

" _Yeah, if we ever need to plan a mock assassination against her, you're impervious to her most powerful weapon, that's so cool!" Isogai felt his heart grow warm. He had never thought of it like that. His best friend was more excited by the idea than he was. Isogai took a deep breath._

" _So…I'm gay," he said. He was becoming more comfortable with the word, exploring how it felt to describe himself. It was odd, but it didn't feel wrong. He was gay. He liked boys. Maehara wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him in so that their temples touched. He liked boys and his best friend wasn't bothered by that._

 _Maehara wrapped his arm around Isogai's shoulder. "Don't worry, Yuuma, we'll find you a boyfriend!"_

"I see, so you guys have always been close," she said thoughtfully. There was a long pause as she thought of a good way to voice her second question. "What do you see in him?"

Isogai frowned as he thought of a way to answer her question. _Remember, it's deception training. What would someone actually dating Maehara answer?_ Kataoka gave him an expectant look. "He's always been there for me. Whenever I need him, he drops everything to make sure I'm okay, spending as much time with me as he needs. When I'm working too hard, he's always there to pull me away and make sure I have fun every once in a while." Isogai chuckled. "He's got a soft side, but don't tell him I told you that." Understanding dawned on Kataoka's face. "I know he's not exactly been a friend to girls, but he's always been there for me."

She let out a contemplative hum, looking away from him and towards the school building they were rapidly approaching. "It sounds like he was waiting for you the whole time he was dating around." Isogai wasn't quite sure why his heart sped up at the thought.

"W-what makes you say that?"

"Well, he's never been serious with anyone before. I'm sure that even his girlfriends were second to you. Now that you guys are dating, all of his attention has got to be on you." Isogai went a little pink at the thought.

"Y-yeah, I suppose so." They finished their walk in silence, Isogai contemplating her words. A part of him wondered if her words were true.

It was only later that night, when he replayed the conversation in his mind, that he realized that he hadn't lied at all.

* * *

Isogai recited the vocabulary words that Irina was taking them through. As much as he hated to admit it, her lewd teaching style was hilariously effective. His English had improved drastically since she had become their full time teacher. Where he could only hold simple, slow conversation before, he could now speak clearer and hold a conversation for longer.

"You have radiant beauty," the class recited in unison. He caught Maehara's eye, who winked at him. Isogai rolled his eyes and focused back on the lesson.

"Kimura! Repeat!" The boy jumped a little at the attention.

"You have radiant beauty."

"Yada!"

"You have radiant beauty."

"Very good!" She glanced at her watch. "That'll be all for today, brats. Karasuma's waiting for you." There was relieved muttering as the class began to gather their things. "Isogai, Maehara, stay behind." They stopped, brows furrowing in confusion. Had they done something? Their classmates shot them odd glances as they left.

"But we need to go to P.E.," Maehara said.

"Don't worry, I've already told Karasuma I'm holding you two back." Isogai shoved the English book and notebook into his bag. He wanted to be ready to leave once she was done with whatever she needed. Maehara had done the same. As the last student left, they closed the door behind them, leaving just them and Bitch-sensei.

"Do you need something?" Isogai asked. He wondered if it was about their exam scores. Sure, he hadn't done as well as he thought he would, but it wasn't _that_ bad. She pulled out a cigarette and lite it. Isogai wrinkled his nose at the smell. He shot a glance to Maehara, who was just as clueless as he was.

"There's rumors that you two are dating now," she said, after taking a drag.

"Y-yeah," Isogai confirmed, still somewhat confused, "We're dating." She sighed.

"Damn, I was hoping I could get out of this," she muttered. Isogai had a bad feeling about this. She pulled open one of her drawers. "We're not supposed to get into the topic of same-sex seduction until we get into until the last trimester, but I may as well give you two a crash course." She pulled out a box, throwing it onto the desk, the contents being shaken around in the box. She placed a bottle next to it. Isogai felt his face go red. _Oh no…_

She gave them a level look. She held up the box. "These are condoms." She held up the bottle. "And this is lube."

Isogai had a _really_ bad feeling about this.

It was about fifteen minutes of the horrifically detailed explanation that she finally let the boys go, sufficiently satisfied with her explanation. Isogai couldn't even _look_ at his (fake) boyfriend, he was too mortified to make eye contact.

"Any questions?" she concluded. They were both mute, unable to say anything after…. _that._ Isogai shook his head, his face still uncomfortably warm. "Very well." She pushed the box over to Isogai. "Then this is yours. Be safe." _Somehow_ his face grew even hotter. He contemplated just running out and leaving Maehara to be damned. His hand twitched as he took the box and shoved it as far down in his bag as it could possibly go.

"Can we go now?" he asked, his voice higher than normal. She looked amused.

"Yeah, yeah. You can head to P.E. now," she dismissed. She gave them one last teasing grin and a wink. "Unless you want to practice before you head over."

Isogai was out of the room as fast as his legs would take him. He could feel Maehara join him. They stood against the wall, neither daring to look at the other. It was Maehara who broke the silence.

"Let's never acknowledged this happened."

"Agreed."

* * *

They slowly recovered from their absolutely mortifying afternoon, even managing to make eye contact after their last class let out. Their hands cupped each other as they made their way down.

 _"And you use your fingers t—"_

Isogai shuddered. He wondered if there was a way to purge his memories from Bitch-sensei's lecture. His poor innocent mind… _Think about something else._ _ **Anything…**_

"So what'd you put down for the career survey?" Maehara asked. Isogai silently thanked his (fake) boyfriend.

"I actually didn't put anything down," he admitted, "I'm not too sure what I want to do. Koro-sensei suggested that I go to a public school that allows students to have jobs, so I don't get into the same situation I got into here." Maehara hummed in thought.

"I put down Gigolo."

"Of course you did," Isogai said, rolling his eyes, "You know that's not a real career path, right?"

"Says you!" Maehara replied indignantly. Isogai absentmindedly rubbed his thumb against the top of Maehara's hand.

"Hey, Maehara, do you think we're gonna end up at the same high school?" Isogai asked quietly.

"I dunno," he replied, "Do you wanna go to the same high school?"

"It's just…I want to go to a more advanced high school. I pushed you to come here and I know you hated it."

 _"I'm being dropped down to Class 3-E," Maehara announced. Isogai had his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened as he looked as best friend in shock. The blond regarded him coolly._

 _"But that's-!" Isogai exclaimed, the sausage dropping to the ground._

 _"I'm not going to fight it," Maehara said._

 _"But if we appeal the decision!"_

 _"I don't care anymore!" he snapped. Any further words died in Isogai's mouth. "I'm sick of this damn school and its damn tests! I don't want to spend all of my life studying! And for what? The chance to pretend like I'm superior? All while I pretend like this is what I want to do. Yuuma, guess what, I don't! I'd rather be a Class E loser than be at this damn school any longer."_

 _Isogai was frozen, Maehara's words piercing through him. He couldn't reply, Maehara had already stormed off._

"Yeah, but it all turned out for the better," Maehara reasoned.

Isogai mutely nodded. In many ways, Class 3-E was a blessing. Maehara chuckled. "It's funny though. Even though I hated it here, and even though I'm sure I'd hate another academically hard school, I still kinda want to be there with you."

"I wouldn't want to put you through that again," Isogai said, "I want you to be somewhere you'll be happy." Maehara hummed in thought. "But I also don't want to be separated like that…"

"Well, even if we don't go to the same high school, I'm sure we'll see each other all the time. Our houses are only like half a kilometer away. We can always hang out after school." Isogai smiled at the thought. "We can text each other at lunch or something."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Besides, it's only three years right? We can go to the same college and live together!" Maehara declared confidently.

"You want to live together?" Isogai asked after a beat.

"I don't see why not. We practically live with each other already," Maehara said. It wasn't entirely wrong, Isogai's mother always cooked extra just in case Maehara stopped by. Maehara's parents would always pick up Isogai's favorite snacks at the grocery store (and some of Isogai's sibling's favorite snacks for that matter).

"We'd have to get into the same college though," Isogai said, "We can't guarantee that'd happen."

"We'll make it happen, Yuuma!" Maehara exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Isogai's shoulders. A smile spread over his face and his heart grew warm. Even if their career paths took them apart, even if they didn't go to the same high school, he knew Maehara would still want to be his friend. He leaned into the touch, their temples touching briefly. Yeah, it was alright as long as his best friend was by his side.

* * *

A/N: me my friends: should i humiliate them?

my friends: yes


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy Maeiso (2/22) day! I couldn't figure out what on earth I wanted to write for it, so I eventually settled on trying to finish this fic!**

 **Unfortunately, poor time management meant I couldn't get it all out, but I do have two new chapters for you all! Thank you so much for your patience!**

 **Chapter Four**

"Yo! That latest issue was sick!" Okajima exclaimed (for the fourth time that day). He and Maehara walked in sync down the mountain the spent most of their days. They had just finished their weekly _Girls Weekly_ flip through. Maehara wasn't impressed this week. It wasn't always about the breasts! He told Okajima as much. "Look, you can't always judge by chest, Okajima. A b-cup could be just as good as a d-cup! You gotta look at the big picture."

"Nah man, I _do_ look at the whole picture, but if she's got it, I gotta appreciate it." He gave Maehara a slap on the back. "Although I guess you're batting for the other team now." Maehara rolled his eyes. Was this really _all_ they could talk about nowadays? Isogai had told Maehara about how Kataoka had confronted him earlier. They had to get over this soon, right?

Right?

"Look, just because Yuuma and I are dating doesn't mean I can't appreciate the fairer sex!"

"Right dude," Okajima said, rolling his eyes, "As if you haven't been all goo-goo eyes over Isogai for the past week." Maehara scowled, inexplicably annoyed. He had not! (Was he really that convincing?)

"I have not!" he protested.

"It's like the second you guys were outed, any semblance of subtlety was _gone_!" Maehara stopped, crossing his arms. Okajima didn't seem bothered. "The way our class rep stares at you with sparkle eyes, the way you keep going _on_ about him." Okajima threw his arms into the air with frustration. "You're my main man, bro, but like, this is too much for me." Maehara frowned. He hadn't been talking about Isogai that much, had he?

And what was that part about Isogai staring at him?

"I…" Maehara started, trying to explain himself, but words died on his lips. Okajima rolled his eyes.

"I get it, dude, you're in love. But, can you like, tone it down? It's making me sick." Maehara stared weakly at his friend.

Him? In love? _Ridiculous._

For the first time, Maehara started to wonder if it was really going to be easy to convince their classmates that they were breaking up. Especially if they thought that they were making goo-goo eyes at each other all the time. They were just acting! Why couldn't anyone see that?

"Look dude, I gotta go. See you Monday!" Okajima said, turning the corner to make his way home. Maehara stood there for a few moments, unsure of what exactly had just happened. He adjusted the heavy bag on his shoulder and began to move, musing Okajima's words. Was the whole class really so convinced of their lie? Or was Okajima just messing with him?

Maehara stopped at the light, waiting for the walk sign. Of course Okajima was just messing with him. It was what he _did_. Maehara would certainly notice if he was acting all lovey-dovey. He had far more self-control than that.

Besides, although he had never been in love before, he felt like he'd know it when it happened!

He unlocked his front door, leaving his shoes in the entryway and his bag against the wall. He collapsed on the couch, the soft cushions sinking under his weight. What was he going to do now? Isogai was currently at work, and wouldn't be free until mid-evening ( _Leave it to him to leave me all alone during prime date time!_ )

Not that Maehara could blame him, of course. He couldn't even begin to grasp the responsibility of pressure his (fake) boyfriend was under all the time. All he could do was be supportive, which was exactly what he did.

But that didn't mean he wasn't _bored as hell_.

He flipped on the television, grabbing the nearby game controller. It'd been a while since he had the chance to play one of his games. The dramatic music blared from the television as the game loaded up. Maehara glanced at his phone. He picked it up, sending off a text message before he got lost in the world of ninjas and button smashing.

To: Isogai Yuuma

 _How's_ _work_ _going?_

Depending on how busy it was at the café, he probably couldn't expect a response for a few hours. He loaded an old game (god, had it really been that long since he had played this?), letting the synthetic sounds of the video game fill the room.

About half an hour later, he sat back on his couch, letting out a sigh of relief. He had just gotten past a tough boss, one he could recall struggling with before he had stopped playing. Looking back, it was a little funny. When he first started playing this game at the beginning of the year, he had thought the protagonist was incredible. With his ninja moves and cool parkour, he could do _everything_. But now, _he_ and his classmates could do some of these moves.

 _Man,_ he thought to himself, _we're pretty cool._

The cut scene started to play. Maehara glanced at his phone.

 _1 Message from Isogai Yuuma_

 _Work is crazy today. X_X I'm only two hours into my shift and I'm exhausted._

Maehara frowned, it was always like this after school on Saturdays. His poor friend was always so exhausted after work.

 _U_ _㈇3 wanna hang out_ _㈺2 after_ _work_ _? We could do a_ _ㇶ9movie_ _ㇶ9 night or smth_ _ㇴ1._

The cut scene ended and Maehara put his phone down, knowing that Isogai wouldn't be able to get to it until he got another break in the crowd.

Maehara button mashed his way through the next level, his mind half on the game and half on the thoughts of his class. It was really incredible how much they had changed over the last few months. He'd thought that getting sent down to Class E would be a death sentence, but he had been so wrong. In the past few months, Maehara had become more confident and ready to take on challenges headfirst. His incredible teachers and classmates taught him how to be himself, the best he could be.

He never would've thought he'd turn out like this.

 _"What do you think of all this?" Maehara asked. They stood on the worn and beaten path that led to their classroom. Their bags weighed heavy on their shoulders with the reality that had just been presented to them._

 _The creature that blew up the moon and threw their world in chaos was their third year middle school teacher._

 _Even the most bizarre of fantasies couldn't match their reality._

 _"I'm not sure," Isogai said, his feet growing heavier with each step. Maehara's heart went out to him, he was their class rep. He'd have to deal with that…thing…the most. "But… that reward."_

 _That's right. If they succeed in the assassination, they would receive 1,000,000,000 yen. He knew that Isogai's family was having some money troubles right now. If they managed to get their hands on even just a fraction of that money, they would be set for a long time. Isogai could quit his job and just focus on school. His mother could take time off to recover. It would really make their lives easier…_

 _"Yeah, but until we do something, we're gonna have to deal with that thing," Maehara said. He shivered as he thought about the octopus. The way it slithered into the classroom, the way it threatened them… He doubted he'd ever feel comfortable in that classroom. For god's sake, he was carrying a knife around in his bag. Who knew when that thing would snap?_

 _"I'm sure it'll become easier as the year goes on," Isogai reasoned, although his voice was strained. He was just as nervous around the creature as everyone else. Maehara was amazed by his composure. He doubted he could ever act coolly around the monster._

 _"I wish Yukimura-sensei was still here," Maehara said quietly. Isogai's grip tightened._

 _"They said she was killed in the riots." Silence fell between the two, quietly saying a prayer for their old teacher._

 _"Why do you think he wants to teach us?" Maehara asked. It had been on the top of everyone's minds. Why us? Why the end-class? It was a question the monster had expertly avoided._

 _"I don't know," Isogai said, "I really don't know." He looked up, staring at the crescent moon. "But whatever the reason, we have a big responsibility."_

 _"Do you think we'll be able to do it?" Maehara's hand rested over the lump in his bag he knew was the rubber knife. Isogai stopped._

 _"I hope so. I really do."_

They had entered their class with so much doubt and so little confidence. But ever since that monster had stepped foot in their class, the deep self-loathing that accompanied previous Class E students had disappeared, replaced with the light happiness they felt now.

Maehara also doubted that they'd ever be as physically fit as they were now.

He paused his game as he heard his phone buzz next to him.

 _1 Message from Isogai Yuuma_

 _I'd love to, but I have to look over Hana and Rei tonight. Mom's gonna be out._

Maehara began writing his reply before even thinking.

 _That's alright_ _㈇6㈇6. We can do_ _ㇶ9I it at_ _㈇3your_ _ㇼ8place_ _ㇼ8. My parents_ _㈺1 won't mind_ _㈺2 me staying_ _㈢7late_

He unpaused the game, only setting down the controller when he reached another cut scene. He stretched his back, satisfied to hear to crack. He glanced upward at the clock, noting that he had been playing for an hour and half now. _I've logged more time today than I have in a while._ Although it wasn't the longest he had ever done, he could feel his attention beginning to waver. Maehara glanced down at his phone.

 _1 Message from Isogai Yuuma_

 _That'd be great. I'll be home around 19:00. See you then!_

Maehara smiled to himself. It looked like he had plans for tonight now.

* * *

Maehara didn't even bother to knock as he entered the Isogai home.

"Hiro-nii-san!" Isogai's siblings chorused in excitement. He kneeled down so that they could give him a hug.

"Hey Hana and Rei! It's been a long time!"

"It's been a week," Isogai commented with a fond smile. Maehara felt their small arms wrap around him. Yuuma was great, but Maehara had a soft spot for Hana and Rei. If he was older and had more money, they'd be spoiled to all hell.

"Like I said, a long time!" he chirped, finally standing up, "So how was work?" Maehara took a seat at their dining room table, taking in the smell of Isogai's cooking. _He's making curry! My favorite!_ Hana jumped on his lap, Rei ran around them excitedly. Maehara imagined that their babysitter hadn't been too fun.

"It's was alright," Isogai said, fluffing the rice, "It was a busy day and I don't think I got more than two minutes to rest." He let out a sigh. "I'm glad it's only that bad on Saturdays." Maehara knew exactly what Isogai meant, he'd visited on a Saturday once. It was _insane_.

"Do you have to go in tomorrow?" Maehara asked.

Isogai shook his head. "No, just today." Maehara perked up at the news.

"Perfect! Then we can stay up late tonight!"

"Hiro-nii!" Rei called, "Can we stay up late too!?"

"Absolutely!" Isogai thwaped him on the shoulder with a spoon. "Hey!"

"Sorry Rei, you know that mom wants you and Hana in bed by eight." Isogai kneeled down so he was at eye level. Rei scowled at his older brother. Isogai slyly glanced at Maehara. "But, that doesn't mean you can't stay up till ten." Rei's eyes widened in excitement, Hana bounced at the news. Maehara quickly adjusted himself so that she didn't fall down.

"Till ten!?"

"Till ten," Isogai confirmed with a friendly nod. Rei grinned, running over to Hana and grabbing her hand.

"Hana! We've got to start planning!" Rei pulled her off of Maehara's lap, and the two ran into the other room to start planning their evening. Maehara chuckled. They really were endless balls of energy…

As soon as they were out of earshot, Isogai frowned and leaned over to Maehara. "Don't tell them things like that! It makes me look like the bad guy when I have to tell them no!" Maehara winced at the tone in his voice.

"Sorry, Yuuma." Isogai let out a sigh.

"It's alright," he said, taking a step back, "I doubt they'll make it much longer than their bedtime anyway." Isogai went back to the stove and stirred the curry. Maehara could hear Hana and Rei debating whether they should watch a movie or build a fort or watch a movie AND build a fort.

 _This is relaxing_ , he mused, _it's simple._

It was moments like this that made him realize how much he enjoyed being around the Isogai family. Hana and Rei's innocent and pure excitement. Isogai's undeniable _love_ for his siblings. Their mother's pride and devotion. It was always so easy. He always felt as though he was welcome in the Isogai household. It was incredible how this broken family had recovered after their father's death. Maybe strength was a familial trait.

 _Maehara was more than a little worried._

 _His best friend hadn't shown up for school that day. It was unusual for his diligent friend to miss a day of school unless it was absolutely necessary. On more than one occasion, Maehara had to convince his friend to go home because he was too sick to go to class. So what on earth would've caused Isogai to miss class today?_

 _The day dragged on, his worry only worsening through the day. His numerous texts had no response. His mind was going wild with possibilities. Maybe his friend was kidnapped. Maybe he had fallen into a ditch on the way to school and was desperately waiting for someone to find him. Maybe a pack of wild wolves had attacked him._

 _When the final bell went off, he practically bolted out of the classroom._

 _He didn't care that he had club that afternoon. Nor did he care that people were calling his name as he rushed down the hallway. He just needed to be sure that Isogai was okay._

 _Slowly, the familiar sights and sounds of Kunugigaoka Middle School gave way to the familiar sights and sounds of Isogai's neighborhood. He kept his eyes out for Isogai, but (thankfully), he was found in no ditches or dog houses._

 _He knocked upon the door to the familiar house in which he'd spent a good portion of his childhood. He waited with baited breath for someone to open the door. Maehara froze at the sight in front of him. Isogai's mother stood at the door, her eyes red from tears. Even as she stood there, a few made their way down her cheeks._

 _"Isogai-kaa-san?" he prompted, his worry only intensifying._

 _"Hiroto-kun," she greeted, her voice croaking and cracking, "I was hoping you'd be here today."_

 _"What happened? What's wrong?" A fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes as she let out a loud sob. Maehara was frozen, unsure of what to do._

 _She choked on her words. "Yuuto died yesterday." Maehara's eyes widened. She couldn't bring herself to say the rest. "Yuuma's in his room." Maehara didn't have to hear anymore. He let himself in, pushing his way through to Isogai's room._

 _Isogai was curled up on his bed, not looking at anything. He barely reacted when Maehara entered. He wasn't crying, but he was barely holding himself together._

 _"Yuuma," Maehara said softly. Isogai's eyes flickered up, but he didn't respond. "Your mom told me what happened." God, what was he supposed to say in this kind of situation? What could he do? "I-I'm sorry." Isogai twitched, but didn't speak. Maehara stepped towards him, placing his hand on Isogai's shoulder. "I don't know what to say." Isogai shifted, uncurling himself just a little._

 _"He said he'd be home in time for dinner," Isogai said, his voice croaking from disuse and suppressed tears. "H-he said he'd be able to help me with my Japanese homework."_

 _"What happened?" Maehara asked, curiosity getting the best of him. He winced as soon as the words left his mouth. Not was probably not the time or the place._

 _"They said it was a car accident. T-They're not sure what happened." Maehara could see Isogai unravelling. The first of the tears began to slip from his eyes. "T-they t-think it was a drunk driver l-losing control in the rain."_

 _"Yuuma," Maehara said softly, pulling him into a tight hug. "It'll be alright." Isogai sobbed into his shirt, the tears and snot wetting it._

 _"I never got to say good-bye!" Maehara didn't respond._

 _What could you say to that?_

Isogai shot him a kind smile. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Wonderful, I'm starving," Maehara said, leaning back on the chair.

"Did you even eat before you came over?"

"Why would I when your cooking is a million times better than my frozen meals?"

"It wouldn't kill you to learn yourself, you know. I could teach you," Isogai offered. He pulled four bowls out of their cabinet.

"We've already tried that, remember?" Isogai froze mid-reach.

"Y-you're right. I blocked that out of my memory." Isogai shivered as the memories flowed back. Maehara scowled. It wasn't that bad! Just because he burned some rice…

And the vegetables…

And the pot…

"Besides," Maehara said, interrupting his own train of thought before the memories fully came back, "Why would I learn to cook when I have you? Would you ever let me go hungry?" Isogai grew thoughtful as he spooned rice into each of the bowls.

"Hmm, I suppose not."

Hana and Rei came running back into the room.

"Yuuma-nii! Hiro-nii! Can we watch this?!" They held up a dvd with similar expressions of excitement on their faces. Maehara's face fell, although he kept a smile on his face. It was Hana and Rei's favorite movie.

He had seen it at least four times already. He glanced up at Isogai, whose kind smile became somewhat strained. _He's probably seen it more…_

"Sure, but dinner first." He tapped the counter for emphasis. Hana and Rei jumped excitedly into their seats. Isogai served them with the incredible grace of an assassin-in-training and a part-time waiter. As he took the first bite, he looked over the scene fondly.

 _God, the Isogai siblings are so cute…_

After dinner and clean-up, they put in the movie. Hana and Rei nestled themselves in between Isogai and Maehara. Hana and Rei clapped and belted out the lyrics to the opening song. As the movie continued on, Maehara's eyes glazed over and his thoughts began to wander. Watching this movie _twice_ was too much, let alone five times…

He wrapped his arm around Hana, who didn't seem to notice in the slightest. He spared a glance over to Isogai, who had (reluctantly) joined in with the singing. Maehara laughed at the strained look on his (fake) boyfriend's face. It was no wonder he knew all the words, if Hana and Rei bullied him into singing like this every time.

His eyes lingered just a moment too long. Just as the song came to an end, Isogai made eye contact and flashed him a brilliant smile.

 _"As if you haven't been all goo-goo eyes over Isogai for the past week."_

Maehara quickly turned away, his cheeks turning pink.

 _"It's like the second you guys were outed, any semblance of subtlety was gone!"_

He missed the subtle frown on Isogai's face as Okajima's words came back to him. There wasn't any truth in them. Was there? He shook his head, focusing ahead on the movie and _definitely_ not stealing glances at Isogai.

Hana's weight on his side became heavier as the night went on, the soft sounds of the movie lulling her to sleep (Maehara was certain that she probably knew every word by heart anyway).

"I think it's safe to turn the movie off now," Isogai commented, glancing towards his fast-asleep siblings. Maehara couldn't agree more. He swiftly pressed the off button on the television and dvd player. His eyes caught the time. He chuckled.

"You were right, they didn't make it that much passed their bedtime." Rei was already snoring, although Hana was still trying to keep herself awake. Isogai shifted slightly so that he didn't disturb his little brother.

"They never do," Isogai said knowingly. He lifted his younger brother, straining a bit under his weight. Maehara followed Isogai's lead, picking up his younger sister. He stumbled a bit. _She's grown since I last did this. Soon I'm probably not even going to be able to pick her up!_ The thought gave him odd, nostalgic feelings. They walked in tandem to their room, placing them as gently as they could into their respective beds. Maehara stepped back, watching Isogai tuck them in and give them good night kisses on their forehead.

"You make a good mother," Maehara commented as Isogai closed the door behind him.

"Excuse me? Are you calling me a mother?" Maehara snickered at the irritation in Isogai's voice.

"I believe I just did, Yuuma-kaa-chan."

"Why am I the mother? Can't a brother just be doting?" Isogai asked, his hands on his hips. Maehara took a step back.

"Nah, it suits you better," Maehara teased, knowing he was playing with fire.

"Hiroto," Isogai growled. He gave chase, Maehara laughing as he dodged Isogai's attempted tackles. He ran into the living room, turning around to face his attacker. He held his hands out, Isogai stopped at the look on his face. Isogai grabbed a pillow off of the sofa, throwing it at Maehara. He caught it with his hand, laughing.

"You're so cute when you're flustered." Isogai threw another pillow at Maehara, his last line of defense. The blond dropped one of the pillows and grinned. He lunged forward, taking the second pillow and smothering Isogai.

"Hiroto!" Isogai protested, holding his arms out to prevent Maehara from touching him. "Stop!" Maehara grinned, as if to tell his best friend ' _Make me'._ They wrestled on the couch, Isogai trying to kick Maehara off of him. Isogai batted the pillow away. He gave his friend a smirk, thinking he had won.

Maehara's legs straddled Isogai's, his fingers ominously wriggling. Before Isogai could prepare himself, Maehara attacked. He pulled his shirt up and began tickling the exposed skin. Isogai involuntarily wriggled at the contact, but he couldn't resist for too long. The laughter bubbled out of his lips. "S-stop, Hiroto!"

"Say you're a mother and Hiroto is the best!"

"N-no!"

"Well then, I guess I'll just keep going." He moved his fingers up his stomach, laughing at Isogai wriggling under him.

"W-wait! Hiroto is the best."

"I didn't quite get that."

"I'm a mother and Hiroto is the best!" Isogai exclaimed. Maehara reluctantly drew his fingers away, his arms still caging his best friend. He straddled Isogai, his face flushed and body short of breath. Isogai let out another laugh, his relief evident.

Maehara became _very_ aware of a lot of things at once.

The soft pink on Isogai's cheeks, the redness of his lips, the small dribble of sweat on his forehead. The warmth radiating off of Isogai's body. Blood rushed to his face and his heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened, feeling an overwhelming urge to close the distance between them.

He sat back, allowing Isogai some room to sit up. He turned away, not wanting his friend to see his blushing face. Oh no. _Oh no._

He _definitely_ had a crush on his best friend.

Maehara Hiroto had made a huge mistake.

* * *

Maehara didn't get much sleep that night. The weight of his realization kept him up. It didn't help that he and Isogai were currently sharing a bed. He was _very_ aware of their proximity, and Maehara held himself back from getting any closer. But still. He had to look at the god damn _adorable_ face sleeping peacefully next to him.

All in all, it was very stressful.

He did eventually fall into fitful sleep early in the morning, waking up to an empty bed and the smell of breakfast wafting through the slightly ajar door. He sat up, his head aching and the heaviness of his eyelids lingering. He buried his head into his hands.

What was he going to do?

He, Maehara Hiroto, womanizer extraordinaire, and current fake boyfriend of Isogai Yuuma, _actually_ had a crush on Isogai Yuuma. How could this have happened? He was supposed to be in control of his emotions! He was supposed to be the cool and collected at all times!

"Hiroto?" A soft voice called as a familiar face peaked into the room. Maehara froze. "Ah! You're awake. I made some pancakes!" Judging by the sounds in the kitchen, Rei and Hana were already up.

"I-I'll be out in a moment," Maehara said, wincing at how pathetic he sounded. Isogai shot him a look of concern, but returned to the kitchen anyway. Maehara quickly smothered his fond smile. _How did I get to this point?! I didn't think our dumb pretend dating thing would lead to this! What on earth do_ _ **I do?!**_ Whenever he had a crush in the past, he'd always just asked the girl out and dealt with either the rejection or acceptance.

But Isogai was different.

He was his best friend, the boy he'd spent the majority of his life with.

What could he say?

 _"Hey Yuuma, you know that whole pretend dating thing? What if we stopped that and actually dated?_ "

Or what about…

" _So I actually have a thing for you, so why don't we keep this up indefinitely?_ "

Hell, he'd be happy with:

 _"Hey Yuuma, let's kiss a lot. Thanks."_

He groaned, finally throwing the bedding off of him. He could deal with this later. He had pancakes (and Isogai, his mind helpfully supplied) waiting for him. He ran his fingers through his hair, hoping to give it some semblance of decency before he went out.

Isogai and his siblings were at their dining room table, snacking on a stack of pancakes that Isogai had pulled together. He looked over the sight fondly. In spite of all of his teasing, he really did love the way that Isogai doted on them. It was love, pure and simple.

"Hiro-nii!" The children chorused.

"Morning, Hana, Rei." He ruffled their hair before taking a seat next to his best friend. Isogai was already piling on a stack before Maehara could ask.

"You sleep well?" Isogai asked. Maehara froze. _Did he know?!_ The look in Isogai's eye was not one of knowing, but of friendly consideration. He relaxed a little.

"I've had better," he said with a shrug. Isogai gave him a kind smile. _I can see why everyone calls him an ikemen now._ _He really is perfect._

"Sorry if I was tossing and turning." _It's not your fault, Yuuma!_

"It's not your fault," Maehara said, "'Sides, it wasn't that."

"Yuu-nii!" Hana said, interrupting, "Wanna hear about my dream last night!?"

"No! My dream was cooler, let me tell!"

"Now Rei, Hana said something first, so why don't we hear from her and then you?" Rei pouted, and shoved a large pancake in his mouth. Hana launched into her story and Maehara paid attention with only half an ear. God, what was he going to do? They still had a solid week of their pretend relationship left.

He turned as he heard their front door open.

"I'm home!" A familiar voice called.

"Mom!" Hana and Rei chorused. All thoughts of breakfast and dreams were gone as the two jumped up to greet their mom. Isogai Haruki entered the kitchen with two children clinging onto her.

"Welcome back, mom," Isogai greeted.

"Morning, Yuuma. Nice to see you, Hiroto."

"Morning, Hakuri-san," he greeted with a lazy wave. It was a testament to their relationship that she wasn't even surprised to see him there.

"How was your trip?" Isogai asked, already pulling out a plate for his mother.

"It was fine," she started, sitting down. Maehara could see the stress lines in her face, worn from the weight of her husband's recent death, money troubles, and work. She looked thinner than the last time he had seen her too. He hoped that she would get a break soon. She was like a second mother to him. "Our clients seemed pleased."

"That's wonderful!"

"At any rate, I'm glad to be home. Hana and Rei hold up okay?"

"As they usually do," Isogai said with a nod. Haruki smiled and ruffled Rei's hair. The two younger siblings began to ramble about their days yesterday. Isogai turned back to Maehara. "Now that mom's home, do you want to go out or something today?"

"Ah, I'd love to, but I'm not feeling super well," he lied. Isogai furrowed his brows, touching his hand to Maehara's forehead. Maehara felt himself go red.

"You do feel a little warm, maybe you should go home and get some rest," Isogai said with concern. Haruki turned her head towards him.

"Y-yeah, I should do that." _Don't blush Hiroto, just don't blush! You're manlier than that!_

"Do you need help getting home?" Haruki asked, concerned, "Yuuma, do you mind helping?"

"No!" Maehara said, quicker than he intended. They shot him identical looks of confusion. "I-I mean, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Isogai asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah, I'll be fine," Maehara affirmed.

"Well, I'll help you out then," Isogai said, standing up. Hana and Rei watched them, tilting their heads. Maehara overheard one of them ask if he was alright.

He quickly gathered his things (not that it would matter, he was over often enough), throwing them into the backpack he had brought. Isogai eyed him with concern, helpfully handing anything he forgot (and anything he forgot the last time he was over).

As he stood at the doorway, he spared a glance back at Isogai. His face went pink at Isogai's concerned look. His hand lingered for just a moment too long and he had to fight to tear his eyes away from Isogai's face. When he finally turned away, his head was haunted by one thought.

 _What the hell am I going to do?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Isogai Yuuma silently cleaned the mess off of their table, his mind wandering. _Was Maehara okay?_ He had felt warm, did he have a fever? Was he drinking enough water? Was it from stress? Had he picked up the flu from somewhere? Isogai glanced towards his phone. Maehara had been responsive to his messages at least, which meant he wasn't _too_ bad at least.

Not that they hadn't weathered sickness before.

 _"I'm dying," Maehara said, rolling over in his bed._

 _"No! Your mom says you just have the flu!" Isogai shouted, his eyes watering, "She says you'll be okay in a few days." Isogai curled into himself, the thought of losing his best friend too much for his eight-year old body. Maehara pulled his comforter over his body, seeking its warm embrace. Isogai brushed away the tears from his face. He couldn't believe he was crying over this._

 _"Yuuma, don't get the flu. It sucks," Maehara warned, shivering under the covers. His voice was sore and cracking. Maehara furrowed his brows, as his groggy mind realized something was off. "Why're you even here anyway? I thought my mom wasn't allowing anyone over."_

 _Isogai fidgeted, "Well, I asked very nicely and my mom told your mom how worried I was about you."_

 _"You were worried?" Maehara asked, confused._

 _"Well, yeah. You're my best friend, after all." An indescribable emotion passed over Maehara's face._

 _"Best friend?" he repeated. Isogai felt his own cheeks grow warm._

 _"Well, yeah. I mean, we've been friends for like, three years now! Of course you're my best friend." Maehara sniffled, holding his hand out._

 _"You're my best friend too."_

"Yuuma, you need to stop worrying. Hiroto is fine," his mother said, shaking her head, "I'm sure he just has a mild fever."

"I-I know, it's just, he was acting a little odd last night too. I'm worried it's something serious."

"Don't worry too much, Yuuma, you'll make yourself ill that way." She gave him a smile. "I'm sure Hiroto-kun wouldn't like that." Isogai let out a sigh.

"I suppose not," he admitted. His phone buzzed and he glanced over at it.

 _One message from Maehara Hiroto._

 _I'm home safe now! I'm gonna sleep for the rest of the day! I'll be 100_ _tmrw!_

Isogai smiled at the screen, feeling somewhat relieved. Whatever it was that he came down with didn't sound serious. That was a relief, at least. He was always somewhat worried that Maehara never quite knew how to take care of himself. He set down his rag to type out a reply.

 _I'm glad to hear it. Let me know if you need anything!_

He hit send and set his phone down. He and his mom still had a bunch of chores to complete. The floor had to be swept, dishes done and dried, laundry… He pulled out an old washcloth and cleaner, ready to really begin the day. He started with the stove, which had some dried and cracked remnants of curry. His mother silently joined him, helping sweep the floor and clear up the trash. He had always enjoyed cleaning, even as a kid. There was something about taking a mess and picking it up and making everything look new and neat again that he enjoyed.

He and his mother danced around each other, taking on the various tasks required in maintaining a clean and safe home. He took out the garbage for her, while she picked up and organized old magazines and washed the windows. He reflected on the past week, silently amused at how it had become one of the strangest weeks of his life.

And yet, it was also a lot of fun.

Having Maehara as a fake boyfriend was actually surprisingly enjoyable. Once he got used to the public displays of affection, the dates, and the fact that he was dating his _best friend_. It was kind of relaxing. It was almost a shame that this time next week they'd be planning their "break-up." He wondered what Maehara had planned for that. It wouldn't be easy to convince everyone that they had gone from a happy couple to broken up a week later. They would have to do something public and probably loud. Either way, it wouldn't be good for anyone.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the odd look that his mother was giving him.

"Yuuma?" she said, her voice soft. Isogai jolted out of his thoughts and back into reality.

"Yes?" he said, standing straight. Isogai could see that she was struggling to say something that was on her mind. _Is it about money again?_ He thought to himself. He felt his heart quicken. If there were money troubles again, he might have to take more shifts at the café, or even take another job… Finally, she just blurted out, "Are you and Hiroto-kun dating?"

Isogai stiffened. _What?!_ His face grew warm. Did she know about the whole fake relationship thing? _How_ did she know? She had been on a business trip for half of last week… Had she somehow heard something from one of their classmates? Or worse? _Their teachers?_

"N-no, w-we're not!" Isogai protested, his voice cracking mid-denial. His heart was pounding. How was he going to get out of this one?! It was one thing for their classmates to think they were dating! It was another entirely for his _mother_ to think they were in a relationship. They could break up and make it believable for their classmates.

But his mother?

She'd never believe it.

"You are!" She exclaimed, her hands jumping to her mouth, "Oh Yuuma!" Isogai's face was hot. He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with her. She didn't seem to mind at all as she pulled him into a hug, her warm arms encircling him. "My little boy is growing up." Oh god, what was he going to do?! Tell her the truth? That he had outed himself to the class and that Maehara was pretending to be his boyfriend to help him out? _How did she even know?_ Although…

"I-I…you're not surprised?" he asked, his brows furrowed. It sounded like… like she almost expected this. She chuckled, her laughter light.

"Yuuma, ever since you two have been kids, you've been completely inseparable. Hiroto's mother and I joked about this happening since you were _eight_." Isogai's head whirled with this information. They…they had been expecting this? "When you told me that you were gay, I thought it was only a matter of time." Isogai felt a little light-headed. _What?!_

"R-really?"

"Yes, Yuuma," she said, finally loosening her grip, "How long have you been dating?" She sounded excited! What the hell was happening right now?! Isogai couldn't get his head around the situation. _This is it, I should tell her now that it's not a real relationship. Then I'll explain, she'll be disappointed (?!), but it'll all be in the air and explained and she'll understand._

Instead, what Isogai said was, "It's been about a week now. H-how did you know?" She gave him a wise smile.

"A mother always knows. I saw how Hiroto was looking at you before he left. That's not a look you give your friend." Isogai flushed, wondering exactly what she had meant. His departure hadn't been all that different from any other times… Isogai gulped, the enormity of their lie finally hitting him. What was he going to do when this whole thing was up and over with? What would his mother think? Would their relationship be the same as it always was? "I'm just glad you're happy."

"Y-yeah." He closed his eyes. "I hope it works out." _I hope we can get out of this without too much confusion._

"Love is like that, Yuuma. If you only take away one thing from me, it's that love is confusing and wonderful. Things change, _you_ change, but in the end, it's all worth it." She tapped him on his nose, like she always did when he was younger. He flushed at the contact. _I'm not a kid anymore, mom!_ She turned back to the counter, pulling out their hand vacuum. Her hand paused over the machine, becoming thoughtful.

"Although, Yuuma, now that you're dating, I think we might have to set some new ground rules for you two."

Isogai groaned. Why did this always happen to him?!

* * *

"My mom thinks we're dating," Isogai blurted out on their walk to school. Whatever had been ailing Maehara the day before had passed, although he still looked a little warm. Maehara's eyes widened and his head whipped towards Isogai.

"What?!" he exclaimed, "Does she know that it's…we're…?"

"Not really dating?" Isogai finished for him, "No, I tried to tell her, but I couldn't." Isogai shook his head. "What're we going to do? It's one thing to fool our classmates, but it's another entirely to lie to my mom…" Isogai knew that Maehara viewed his mother as family, he would understand the enormity of this situation as much as Isogai did.

"Ugh," Maehara groaned, burying his head into his hands, "I think we may've gone too far with this. What're we gonna tell her?"

"You're just now realizing this was a bad idea?" Isogai snapped, a little harsher than he intended. Maehara winced at his accusation. He immediately regretted his outburst. Maehara hadn't meant for anything bad to come out of this, Isogai knew that.

"I'll admit that I need to get better at thinking things through…" Maehara said quietly, "I didn't mean for it to affect your family." Isogai reached out, grabbing his (fake) boyfriend's hand and intertwining their fingers. Maehara grew a little red at the gesture (Isogai filed that reaction away to analyze for later).

"I know that," Isogai responded softly, "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I deserve it though," Maehara said, "God, why are you even friends with me?"

"That's an easy question, Hiroto. If I couldn't put up with this, then I wouldn't deserve you."

Maehara didn't respond, the only reaction that Isogai got was his hand being squeezed and what sounded like a choked squeak. Isogai spared a glance at his friend, who was beet red. Isogai frowned, pressing a hand to his forehead. Maybe Maehara wasn't as well as he said he was.

* * *

It was only a few hours into the day that Isogai realized that Maehara was acting strange.

He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but something about their interactions had changed. At first, Isogai had assumed it had something to do with the revelation about Isogai's mother's knowledge of their relationship. But it wasn't quite that. Somehow, in the past few hours, Maehara had become more reserved and less willing to be publicaly affectionate. Just last week Maehara had almost viewed their (fake) relationship as a show, making it a point to hold hands, grab him by the waist, and give him short kisses. Now, he was refraining from touching him or even getting too close. It was only after Isogai prodded him that they even held hands. What had changed?

Was this how Maehara was starting to end their "relationship"? Was he purposefully distancing himself so that when they ended it, it seemed more realistic?

Couldn't Maehara at least have told him?

Isogai was inexplicably annoyed at Maehara's avoidance. It wasn't like he would've minded that they begin distancing themselves, it just would've been nice to get some forewarning.

He would never admit it out loud, especially to Maehara, but he did kind of miss those moments of affection. To be reminded of Maehara's presence at his side. For all of his womanizing, joking, and playfulness, he really was a sweet friend. It was nice to go back to being as affectionate as they were when they were younger. Holding hands was kind of nice…

He also kind of liked Maehara's hand on his waist.

And their kisses…

Isogai shook his head, maybe it _would_ be better for this whole thing to end before it got too far. Who knew how far his thoughts would go if this went on… It would get a lot harder forget everything, that much was obvious.

"Isogai-kun?" Koro-sensei prompted, "How does the plan sound?" Isogai shook his head, unaware that there was a dusting of pink across his face.

"It sounds good to me," Isogai said, "If we all mobilize, we should be able to get the required components to make a meal for the required price point. I'm worried about how we're going to advertise everything so that people come all the way up here."

"I'm sure Sugaya-san could whip something up," Kataoka suggested, "And Yada's been learning from Bitch-sensei about seduction. I'm sure she would be great at convincing people to make the journey." Isogai mulled over her suggestion.

"That's not a bad idea," he said, "We could even have some of the stronger students running a bike cart up and down the mountain for people who can't walk up that far on their own." Koro-sensei brightened up (literally).

"Excellent idea! As expected from our class representatives!"

"But what about freshness?" Kataoka wondered, "We don't have much electricity up here, let alone enough for a fridge to hold materials." Isogai went silent, contemplating the issue.

"Your classmates could catch the materials and prep it as people are walking up!" Koro-sensei suggested.

"And then we could use that as a selling point!" Isogai said, excited. Kataoka furiously nodded. Koro-sensei's face flashed them a positive O.

"Excellent! You two will do great in business in the future!" he said enthusiastically. Isogai's heart swelled. He still had doubts over what he really wanted to do with his life, but it was moments like this that gave him the confidence to move onward. He was sure it would become clearer in the next few years. He smiled to himself.

"Megu, why don't we pull together a quick plan for everyone, and then get started making the test dishes!" he said. She gave him an enthusiastic nod. Isogai gathered their notes and his things, quickly and systematically filing everything back into his backpack. Most of the rest of the class was attending one of Karasuma's extra afterschool PE classes. They would be late, but not by much.

"Isogai-kun, can you stay behind for a moment?" Isogai stopped, almost out the doorway. Kataoka shot him a concerned look.

"I'll see you soon, Megu," Isogai said, giving her a small wave. He was sure Koro-sensei just needed him to help with additional classwork. Every once in a while they would consult over how people in the class were doing, and they hadn't gotten the chance to talk in a while. Kataoka gave him a curt nod and closed the door. Isogai sat down across from his teacher. "What would you like to talk about, Koro-sensei?"

"Isogai-kun, I know it's fun and exciting to be in a new relationship, but I want to make sure it doesn't interfere with your schoolwork." Isogai's face grew hot. _Was I really that distracted?_ He looked up at his teacher, who looked as though he was about to give a lecture. He wished there was a pillow he could smother himself with. _Am I going to get the talk again?_ _Bitch-sensei was bad enough, now Koro-sensei?_

"R-right," Isogai stuttered. Koro-sensei kept his polite smile plastered to his face, "H-have I seemed t-too distracted?"

"Not at all!" Koro-sensei responded, "I've just noticed that you've been a bit more lost-in-thought than usual!" Isogai curtly nodded, wondering if he bolted for the door, if Koro-sensei would catch him in time.

"Is that all?" Isogai asked, already pulling his bag on his shoulder. _I really don't want to be here right now!_ Koro-sensei's face turned pink and his grin became more relaxed. To Isogai's horror, he was pulling out a notebook.

"So Isogai-kun, I have a few questions for you about your relationship with Maehara-kun." Isogai's dread grew deeper. "So Isogai-kun. When did you first kiss where did you first kiss how much tongue do you guys use where was your first date when did you guys first confess to each other how long have you known that you liked him have you been practicing safe sex when is your anniversary will you stay together after graduation please say yes I really want you guys to stay together is there anyone else that you liked before Maehara are you going to same high school what about college have you thought about marriage or children the adoption process is really smooth these days I'm sure you can talk to your classmates about surrogacy how do your siblings like him does your mother like him does she approve does Maehara's parents approve do they even know does your work come in between you and Maehara do you want me to move your seats closer together so you can pass love notes to each other easier will you be doing a team up to assassinate m—"

Isogai stood up. _If I don't cut this off right here, he's never going to stop_. He turned on his heel, ignoring Koro-sensei's indignant squawk.

"Isogai-kun!" he cried, trying to stop him, but Isogai was already a step out the door, "W-wait!"

Isogai faced his pathetic, pleading teacher. "See you tomorrow," he said curtly, slamming the door behind him. Once he gained sufficient distance from the octopus, he took a deep shaky breath and leaned his weight against the wall. Why did everyone insist on knowing everything about what was going on in their lives at all times? It was really making him sick.

He took a deep breath. In. 1… 2… 3... Out. 1… 2… 3… He could see Karasuma's class in the distance, practicing some free running. 1… 2… 3… The group was coming closer. 1… 2… 3… Off the side, Kataoka was working on warming up, having missed the first half hour of the extra class. In the distance, he could see a familiar blond racing two of their other classmates. Isogai smiled. As Maehara approached, he took notice of Isogai in the distance, and raised his arm in a silent greeting. Isogai raised his own arm in response, waving at him.

Even from the distance, he could see Maehara's brilliant smile. 1… 2… 3… Isogai's arm fell limply to his side. 1… 2… 3… He wasn't sure he could take much more of this.

Maybe it was for the better that things were ending soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Maehara was barely holding himself together.

After leaving Isogai's house, he had done his best to forget about his revelation. He spent the afternoon playing video games, helping his mother prepare dinner for that night and he even _cleaned his room_ (much to his mother's shock and surprise). Yet, nothing he did could keep his mind off of Isogai.

 _I have a crush on my best friend,_ he thought to himself Sunday evening, _But it's okay, because I can_ _ **definitely**_ _handle this. I am cool, and in control of my emotions._

His emotions had other plans for him.

All semblance of control was gone the second he saw his best friend. Those same, damn gooey feelings hit him all at once. His face reddened the second he saw Isogai, even more so when they locked their hands together. Then Isogai had to go and drop a bomb.

 _"My mom thinks we're dating._ "

It couldn't have been any worse. It was one thing to trick his classmates, but another entirely to trick Isogai's mother! The poor woman didn't need to know that her son's first boyfriend was just a ploy to get his classmates off of his back about outing himself! Then he had to drop _another bomb_.

 _"I deserve it though," Maehara said, "God, why are you even friends with me?"_

 _"That's an easy question, Hiroto. If I couldn't put up with this, then I wouldn't deserve you."_

His heart pounded against his chest, and Maehara had to resist kissing Isogai senseless. Any progress he had made in stuffing these dumb emotions into a box has been completely unraveled in that second.

Eight hours later, just as the class was leaving for the day at four pm, and he couldn't even say that he had paid a semblance of attention to that day's lesson. He had been too distracted by Isogai's cute dumb face, attentively taking notes. When Koro-sensei had finally dismissed them for the day, he buried his head into his arms.

 _I can't believe I'm this far gone. I'm supposed to be cool and in control of my emotions, how the hell could this happen?_

"Maehara?" Isogai prompted. Maehara pulled himself up, stiffening when Isogai put his hand to his forehead. "Are you still under the weather?"

"A little bit," he muttered. Isogai frowned.

"Why don't you head home then? Koro-sensei asked Kataoka-san and I to stay late to discuss the upcoming festival. I'll catch up."

"Okay," Maehara said, gathering his things. Isogai leaned in expectedly for a kiss, but Maehara moved passed him, not taking the bait. He didn't need to lose himself any more than he already was. He needed to avoid touching him if he was going to be over these emotions by the time they "broke-up."

It would be a total disaster if Maehara couldn't get over this by then.

Maehara trudged down the beaten path to their building alone, lost in his thoughts. He had never had a crush on someone who he couldn't actually date before. Hell, he had never had a crush this intense before. Normally, he just felt a little tingle of attraction towards someone before he pursued them.

This was different though.

These feelings were more intense, bristling beneath his skin and making his heart and stomach do dumb things. They were harder to keep under control. The trill of excitement he felt whenever he made Isogai laugh, the pleasure he got out of small displays of affection. All in all, it was _very_ distracting. And it would all be over in a week.

A part of him wanted to suggest having it go on longer. After all, their classmates had only seen them for two weeks, would they really believe that they had been a real couple if they broke up now? On the other hand, would his heart be able to handle much more of this? Besides, wouldn't his suggestion just be a selfish attempt to spend more time with Isogai? The last thing he wanted to do was use his friend because he had these dumb feelings.

Maehara jumped when his aforementioned friend/fake boyfriend placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Oops, didn't mean to startle you!" Isogai apologized, "It was a quick meeting."

"Y-yeah," Maehara said. Isogai reached out to hold his hand, but Maehara pulled back. At Isogai's confused look, he explained, "There's no one around, we don't have to pretend." A flash of confusion (hurt?) went over Isogai's face, but it was gone in an instant.

"R-Right," Isogai said, "Sorry." Awkward silence fell between them. Isogai gulped. "So we're ending it next week, huh?" Isogai commented. Maehara's heart hurt a little at the reminder.

"Yeah," Maehara said, "Next Monday."

"I don't think I properly thanked you," Isogai said, "I mean, I know this couldn't have been easy for you, but I'm glad you were willing to share the attention with me." _He's too gracious!_

"N-no, you shouldn't thank me." Isogai gave him an odd look.

"But I _want_ to," he insisted, "You didn't have to do this, and you did anyway. It might not mean a lot to you, but it does to me. It's been nice to do this together with you." Maehara's heart skipped a beat and he resisted the urge to pull Isogai into a sloppy kiss. Isogai gave him a smile that Maehara swore _actually sparkled_. Maehara's throat felt dry. "I really appreciate it. So let me know what I need to do make sure our breakup seems realistic."

"W-well," Maehara stuttered, "I mean, we have to make it feel realistic. Like it's not forced."

"Right," Isogai agreed, as though he hadn't just said the same thing, "We don't want our classmates to get suspicious about everything." Maehara nodded. "Well, a week from now, it'll be just after the school festival…"

"We could have a fight during the festival," Maehara weakly suggested.

"Hmm, it would work, but I don't want our classmates to get distracted by our fight. If _do_ decided that we need to fight then, we'd have to do it immediately after our last customers leave," Isogai said, "Maybe it'd be better if we wait until the day after." Maehara's heart ached at the idea.

"Yeah."

"Maybe a full day or two after that," Isogai mused, "That would make sense, right, timing wise?"

"Yeah," Maehara reluctantly agreed.

"Hmm, so do we want to start distancing ourselves this week then?" Distancing themselves? It _would_ help Maehara resist his dumb emotions and make their break-up easier for their classmates to accept. He still didn't like it.

"Maybe not too quickly," Maehara said slowly, "As far as the class is concerned, we're the 'model couple.' They'll notice if it goes down too fast." Isogai mused his words, although a tick in his eyebrow told Maehara that his friend thought something was off. Maehara's heart sped up a little at the thought. _What if he knows?_

"Right," Isogai said, the brief confusion gone, "Why don't we start uncoupling ourselves around Thursday then." Maehara gulped. Another three days pretending to date Isogai? God, would his heart be able to handle it?

On the other hand, it would give Maehara a full three days to be as affectionate with Isogai as he wanted to be. It would help wear out any of these dumb feelings and then he could squash the rest after that. It was the perfect plan.

"Yeah, that'll work," he agreed.

"That'll give me enough time to plan for our date!" Isogai said brightly. Maehara's ears went red. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?

"D-date?" he repeated.

"Yes," Isogai affirmed brightly, "You took me out last week, so it's only fair that I take you out this week."

"Y-you don't have to," Maehara protested, "I mean, I know you're always tight on money and it isn't like we need to do this."

"But I want to," he insisted, "You treated me and it's only fair that I treat you back. Besides, my date isn't going to be that expensive. I can certainly afford it."

"Are you sure?" Maehara's heart swelled. "I don't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't be! I _want_ to do this. It won't be quite as fun as yours I don't think, but it'll still be enjoyable." Maehara gulped. _What did I do to deserve him?_

* * *

After their Tuesday class, Isogai pulled Maehara aside.

"Come with me!" he said brightly, with a smile that Maehara couldn't have hoped to say no to. Isogai had a backpack on, one that weighed heavily on his shoulders. His schoolbag bounced against his hip. Maehara furrowed his brows. _What's he got planned?_

He obediently followed behind his (fake) boyfriend. "Yuuma, do you want help with any of that?"

"No, I –oomfp—got it," Isogai said, tripping on a rock in the middle of his sentence. Maehara raised an eyebrow. Without a word, he pulled Isogai's schoolbag off of his shoulder and threw onto himself. Isogai gave him a weary smile. "Thank you."

"It's not a big deal," Maehara dismissed. He curiously looked around him. "Where are you taking us?"

"You'll see! I want it to be a surprise," Isogai said brightly. He looked far too excited for his own good (Maehara's heart may've skipped a beat). He carefully observed his surroundings. Isogai was taking them on a trail up from the school. They were heading steadily upward. Was Isogai taking him to the mountain's summit? Admittedly it wasn't very high, but what could be up there?

"Koro-sensei interrogated me about you," Isogai said suddenly. Maehara frowned.

"What'd he ask?" Maehara asked, jumping over a fallen log.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, I guess. Just asked when we got together and stuff. He's very curious." Maehara snorted.

"Of course he is. He's always been nosey. Remember that time he thought that Hazama had a boyfriend and he practically followed her?" Isogai laughed.

"That's right. Didn't it turn out that she was just spending a lot of time with stray cats?"

"Yep!" Maehara said, "He was soooo dejected. That was a lot of fun. I think if looks could kill, Hazama could've annihilated him." Isogai let out a laugh. They fell into comfortable silence, with nothing but leaves crunching beneath each to accompany them. Isogai began to slow.

"I'm glad I was moved down to Class E," he said. A soft smile graced Maehara's face.

 _Maehara's confusion was palpable. Had he heard his friend right?_

 _"You're….you're getting dropped down to Class E?" he asked. Isogai was curled up on his couch, hugging a pillow. Tears prickled at his eyes. Maehara felt numb. He hadn't cared that he had been dropped down to Class E, but_ _ **Isogai**_ _? His friend was the top of class 2-B! He didn't deserve to be sent to the End class!_

 _"Yeah," he choked out, "They found out about my job. It's against school rules, so they're sending me down to 3-E." Maehara didn't know how to react. He felt horrible knowing that his friend—his top-of-the-class-and-definitely-going-to-a-top-college friend—was going to the class that damned so many people before them._

 _But there was also a sense of relief._

 _He wouldn't have to be there alone. At least his friend would be there too. Guilt gnawed at his heart. He shouldn't feel this way! It was terrible. Maehara shook his head. He could work out these feelings later. His friend needed him now._

"We're here!" Isogai declared. Maehara took the moment to observe his surroundings. Like he'd suspected, they had come to the summit of the mountain. It wasn't a popular hike, especially with the school on the side, but it was certainly beautiful. They came just above the trees, giving them a view of the whole town. Maehara was impressed.

For an amateur, Isogai was pretty good at planning dates.

Isogai pulled his backpack off, setting it on the ground. The black-haired boy quickly unzipped it, pulling out a blanket. Maehara raised an eyebrow.

"A picnic?" Isogai pinkened.

"Yeah, I thought that since I couldn't take you anywhere like a theater or museum, that this might be good." He looked out to the horizon. "We could watch the sunset from here." Maehara pretended like his heart didn't skip a beat.

"This is great, Yuuma," Maehara assured. Isogai unrolled the blanket, shaking out any remaining dust. He laid it on the ground, sitting on top of it. Maehara was across from him, his legs crossed. Maehara was impressed, since they got out late on Tuesdays due to extra training with Karasuma, the timing was perfect The sun was just over the horizon. Isogai pulled out two bentos and handed one over to Maehara. Maehara eagerly opened the box. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what was in it.

"Tonkatsu! My favorite!" he exclaimed. Isogai smiled.

"I knew you'd like that," he said, "I also included some curry sauce."

"You're the best!" Maehara said excitedly, already digging into the meal. Isogai scooched closed to him, so that their arms were touching. Maehara missed the fond look that Isogai gave him, too distracted by the delicious food in front of him.

Maehara finished the meal quickly, happily satisfied with how the (fake) date was going. Isogai was eating slowly, savoring each bite.

"Yuuma, have I ever told you that you are an incredible cook?" Isogai smiled into his rice.

"Only every time I cook for you, Hiroto."

"Well, it's true," Maehara affirmed. Isogai finished the last of his rice, setting aside the empty box. Maehara handed his empty box to put into the backpack. He froze.

There was a little bit of rice left on Isogai's mouth. He gulped.

Maehara cupped Isogai's face, the other boy stopped, confused.

"Hiroto?" he asked curiously. Maehara wiped away the rice with his thumb.

"You, uh, had a little bit of rice."

"Ah, I see," Isogai said. Maehara unconsciously leaned forward. Isogai pulled back. "What're you doing? There's no one here." The blond boy felt like his heart was going to break.

"I…I thought I heard Koro-sensei earlier," he lied quietly. Isogai looked doubtful, but Maehara didn't care. He kissed him fiercely, his heart fluttering at the touch. He closed his eyes, pulling Isogai in closer. They broke apart moments later, breathless.

Isogai gave Maehara another odd look before finishing packing up the empty containers. Maehara closed his eyes.

 _Why did I do that? I'm supposed to pull back on these kind of things!_

They watched the sunset together, but Maehara's mind was on other things.

* * *

"Mom, what do you do when you really like someone?" Maehara asked the next morning, stirring his cereal dejectedly. She stopped, her fork halfway to her mouth. She looked more than a little baffled. She set the fork down with a clack.

"Why?" she asked, her brows furrowed. Maehara was already regretting saying anything. He hunched over.

"Nevermind," he said, "Don't worry about it." But if there's anything he had learned in his life, his mother wasn't the type of person to drop things once she heard them. She looked at him knowingly, a smirk playing at her lips.

"You like someone, don't you? More than those other girls you dated before, eh?" Maehara involuntarily went red.

"N-no, it's not like that," he protested fruitlessly. She hummed knowingly. Maehara wished he could go back to his room and crawl into this bed and pretend like his mother didn't know that he definitely had a crush on someone.

"Well, Hiro-kun, let me tell you about love." _I change my mind. I'm just going to die from embarrassment now. I'm sorry, Yuuma._ "If you really like someone, you have to tell them." She leaned on her arm. "It's as simple as that."

"It's complicated," Maehara objected, "It's not as easy as saying that I like hi-them." He winced at his slip-up. He hoped that his mother hadn't caught it, although knowing the witch, it was likely she had. Her expression was careful, although a furrowed brow gave her away.

"Well, Hiro-kun, it might feel complicated. But life is short, and if _they_ don't like you back, then they didn't deserve you." She poked him on the chest. He flicked away her hand. "I'm sure you'll work it out with them." He wasn't so sure about that.

"Did it work that way with dad?" he couldn't help but ask. His mother fondly smiled.

"Yes. We met in college, back in a poetry class. I thought he was a dolt at first, and to be honest I still think he's a bit of a dolt, but he was a cute dolt. I was the one that made the first move." She laughed. "If I recall, his pride was so bruised that he initially said no. When I asked him again a week later, he caved and said yes. Three years later we were married." Maehara stirred his cereal, thinking over her words. She regarded him with a mischievous smirk. "So, Hiro-kun, who exactly is this person you're pursuing?" Maehara froze. _Person._ She caught his slip-up.

"N-no one. It was hypothetical," he lied. She narrowed her eyes.

"A question that specific, forgive me if I'm a little doubtful." _Witch!_ "So Hiro-kun~ Who's stolen your heart?"

"No one," he mumbled. If anything, she looked more amused than before. She took a strand of her hair and curled it around her finger. Hiroto shoveled his breakfast in his mouth. _She can't question me if my mouth is stuffed._

"Oh~ You're blushing!" He almost spat out his breakfast.

"Am not!"

"You certainly are!" She grinned.

"Tell me, do they have red hair?" Maehara decidedly avoided his mother's gaze. "Hmm? No? What about blond?" _Don't look up don't look up._ "Or, perhaps, black?" _Absolutely do not meet her gaze absolutely do not look up._ She hummed, having found what she was looking for. _How the hell can she tell?! Witch!_ "I see, Hiro-kun, I see."

"Ah, look at the time," he said quickly, "I've got to go to school. We're prepping for the school festival I can't let everyone down by being late see you later." He stood up, taking his bowl to the sink and grabbing his bag.

"You know," she drawled, "Isogai's mother and I speak often." Maehara froze, one foot literally out the door.

"O-oh," he stammered weakly.

"She had some very interesting things to say yesterday, in fact."

 _I'm going to die of embarrassment right here and now. Time to dig my grave, good-bye, Yuuma, I'm so sorry._

"I…we're…" he explained pathetically.

"Hiro-kun, I hope you know that your father and I will love you no matter who you're with. Lord knows the number of girls you've paraded with. We just want you to be honest with us." She crossed her legs, regarding him with interest. "What I find strange is that Masami-san said that you two were already dating." Maehara's grip loosened around his lunch, he felt weak. What was his mother going to say?! "And you said that you hadn't even told him that you like him yet. From my perspective, I would say that one of those things needs to happen before the other." She stood up. Maehara instinctively took a step back.

"I-It's complicated," he said.

"Hmm? I think an explanation would be very helpful right now."

"I'll be late for school?"

"You've got time," she said, crossing her arms. Her voice became hard, "Explain."

Maehara let out a heavy sigh, dropping his heavy bag back on the floor. It would be a while before he could leave the house at this rate. "It started like this." He explained the whole situation, Isogai coming out, his dumb idea, and how it spiraled out of control. When he finally finished, his mother regarded him with amused eyes.

"Can I go now?" he asked weakly. _I'm going to throw myself off of Kunugigaoka mountain good-bye world._

"You know, Hiroto. While your methods are a little unconventional, I don't think you have to worry about Yuuma. You two have been inseparable since you met, I doubt that something like this would get between you. You can't have reward without risk." She smiled. "Besides, I think Yuuma might surprise you." Despite his overwhelming embarrassment, he felt a stirring of hope in his heart.

"Can I go now?" he repeated.

"Yes, Hiro-kun. Think about what I said, okay?" She moved forward and kissed him on his forehead.

"Okay."

As he began his walk up to Kunugigaoka, he couldn't help but think _would it all really work out?_

 ** _A/N: here's my once quarterly update enjoy (there are about three chapters left by my estimate)_**


End file.
